The Shetland Islands have the world's first tidal-powered electric vehicle charging station

Apr, 2021 - By WMR

The first-ever electric vehicle charging station which is powered by tidal energy has been installed on the Yell Island in Shetlands, according to Nova Innovation.

Cullivoe harbor, on the Bluemull Sound shores, a water-channel joining the northern Shetland Islands of Unst and Yell, now has an evolt charge point. ChargePlace Scotland, the Scottish Government's national electric vehicle charging network, is in charge of it. Transport Scotland sponsored the construction of the Cullivoe EV charge point as part of a renewable energy transfer program that also saw the Scottish Government announce that the selling of new cars powered solely by petrol or diesel combustion engines would end by 2032. From last five years, the company has been supplying power to Shetland’s businesses and homes. In April 2014, the first 30-kW turbine which was set up in Bluemull Sound had become operational. Two years later, it was decommissioned and replaced with a 100-kW tidal turbine that was coupled to the local grid in August 2016.

The Shetland Tidal Array now has four 100-kW turbines, and the harvested power goes to Tesla's battery banks. The tide and movement of the area were found to be repeated every six hours, with a pause as the wave rotates and changes course. Regular loaded delivery of the local grid allowed for maximum production during export and export during boat times. Nova Innovation plans to add two more in the coming years, saying that if all turbines are operational, they will be able to apply for around 30,000 EV charging applications each year.

"It is great to see that Nova Innovation showing once again that Scotland is at the forefront of advances in zero-emission transport solutions," states Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity.