PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Projects/Bluemull Sound

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Bluemull Sound

In 2016, Nova Innovation deployed the world’s first offshore tidal array to supply electricity to the grid with greater than 17,000 generating hours reached in 2019. These turbines have continued to generate and export electricity to the grid since then. The first three Nova M100 devices (installed capacity 300 kW) were deployed in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, Nova Innovation was granted licences to extend the array to six turbines (increase capacity to 600 kW) and reconfigure the turbines within the array. In 2018, Nova Innovation worked with Tesla to add energy storage to their tidal technology. This created the world’s first grid connected tidal power station with the ability to deliver baseload (constant, steady-state) power and deliver energy on demand to meet consumer needs. In August 2020 a fourth 100 kW turbine was added to the array. This was the next generation of Nova's M100 turbine, with no gearbox (direct drive). A further two 100 kW turbines will be installed in 2021, taking the total to six. This will be followed by reconfiguration of the turbines in the array to enable information on array effects and optimal layout design to be gathered.

Project Manager
Additional Information
Project Status
Is the project actively being planned or is deployed in the water (active)? Or was the project canceled or completed (inactive)?
Active
Project Life Cycle
Project Progress through life cycle:
  • Planned: Project has identified a deployment location and is preparing for deployment
  • Operational: Project is deployed in the water and is active
  • Completed: Project was previously deployed in the water
  • Decommissioned: Installation has been fully removed in accordance with regulations
  • Canceled: Project was canceled before being deployed in the water
Operational
Operational Start Year
2016
Project Start Year
2014
Energy Resource
  • Tidal
Project Scale
Array
Max Rated Power Capacity
The maximum amount of electricity that can be produced by project, based on available resources and device nameplate capacity.
0.6 MW
Grid Connectivity
Grid Connected
Number of Devices
6
Waterbody
Bluemull Sound, Shetland
Site Characteristics
Geographic characterization for the project location:
  • Open Ocean: Main body of ocean, not enclosed or partially enclosed by land
  • Coastal: Open water near the coast, spanning between land and shelf boundary
  • Enclosed Bay: water that is partially surrounded by land, with a mouth open to larger water
  • Constricted Channel: A channel where water flows quickly due to narrowing by the land
  • River: Water flowing from land towards a larger body of water
Constricted Channel
Country
United Kingdom


This Project has the following MRE Devices

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Last modified: 2024-04-12