Excerpt from CNBC
An electric vehicle charging point which uses tidal energy has started operations, providing road users on an island north of mainland Scotland with a new, renewable option for running their cars.
The facility is located on Yell, which is part of Shetland, an archipelago of roughly 100 islands. The charging point gets its electricity from Nova Innovation’s Shetland Tidal Array, a four turbine installation in Bluemull Sound, a strait between Yell and another island called Unst.
In an announcement Monday, Nova Innovation described the project as “the first ever electric vehicle … charge point where drivers can ‘fill up’ directly from a tidal energy source.” A battery storage system has also been deployed to ensure a constant supply for vehicles.
The Scottish government is one of many around the world looking to move away from internal combustion engine vehicles. It wants to phase out the need for new diesel and gasoline vans and cars by the year 2030. Funding for the project on Yell has come from Transport Scotland, the country’s transport agency.
Island Innovation is a social enterprise and digital media company at the intersection of sustainable development and communications, offering specialised services across various sectors. We bring together the private sector, government, utilities, NGOs and universities to advance innovation for sustainability and prosperity in islands worldwide.
