Nova Innovation has won funding from Innovate UK that could help deliver the first ever tidal turbine array in Indonesia.
Innovate UK has awarded £200,000 to Nova’s Feasibility of Larantuka and Indonesian Tidal Energy (Flite) project that will deliver a feasibility study for a 7MW tidal array in the Larantuka Strait.
Larantuka Strait lies between the islands of Flores and Adonara and has one of the strongest tidal currents in Indonesia, Nova said.
The array would utilise Nova’s next generation 100kW tidal turbines.
Flite is the first Asian project for Scotland-based Nova Innovation, which has teamed up with Indonesian University Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) to deliver the work.
Nova will partner with ITS to conduct on-site technical and socio-economic research supporting the business case for the tidal array.
Nova Innovation chief executive Simon Forrest said: “Our goal is to kick-start the development of tidal stream as a sustainable and abundant energy source for countries across the world.
“Indonesia is blessed with vast tidal energy resources that can be harnessed to generate clean, predictable, sustainable energy for the country.
“By working closely with our Indonesian partners we will accelerate the harnessing of this untapped resource, capable of powering Indonesia for generations to come.”
ITS vice rector Bambang Pramujati said: “The eastern region of Indonesia has the characteristics of an archipelago and abundant natural energy sources.
“The electricity supply system in this region has to deal with a variety of geographical factors, uneven population distribution and an uneven distribution of energy needs.
“Collaborative research between ITS and Nova Innovation will deliver a feasibility study for a tidal energy array in the Larantuka strait with the aim of answering economic and technical feasibility issues and providing confidence for investors.”