A charging point for electric vehicles that uses tidal energy has started to operate, offering road users on an island north of mainland Scotland a new renewable option for driving their cars.
The facility is located in Yell, which is part of the Shetland, an archipelago of around 100 islands. The charging point draws its electricity from Nova Innovation’s Shetland Tidal Array, an installation of four turbines in Bluemull Sound, a strait between Yell and another island called Unst.
In an announcement on Monday, Nova Innovation described the project as “the first electric vehicle … charging point where drivers can ‘fuel’ directly from a tidal power source.” A battery storage system has also been implemented to ensure a constant supply of vehicles.
The Scottish government is one of many around the world who are looking to move away from vehicles with an internal combustion engine. He wants to eliminate the need for new vans and diesel and gasoline cars by the year 2030. Funding for the project in Yell came from Transport Scotland, the country’s transport agency.
Scotland’s strengths
Among those who responded to Monday’s announcement about the Yell project was Fabrice Leveque, head of WWF Scotland policy.
“It is great to see tidal technology being used to help decarbonize part of Scotland’s transport sector in the islands,” he said, adding that Scotland is “well positioned to continue to lead the development of this technology, which will help to reduce the climate emissions and create skilled, green jobs. “
“Our islands have an abundance of renewable resources, including wind, tides and sun, which, when used carefully, can bring various economic and social benefits to remote and rural communities across Scotland,” said Leveque.
The waters around Scotland are home to a number of interesting projects focused on tidal energy. This includes the first phase of the development of the MeyGen tidal flow, which uses four 1.5 megawatt turbines. The majority owner of the project is Simec Atlantis Energy, listed in London.
While there is enthusiasm about the potential of marine energy, its current footprint remains small. Recent data from Ocean Energy Europe (OEE) shows that only 260 kilowatts (kW) of tidal capacity were added in Europe last year, while only 200 kW of wave energy was installed. In contrast, 2020 saw 14.7 gigawatts of installed wind power capacity in Europe, according to the industry body WindEurope.
Although tides have a long way to go to reach other renewable sources, such as wind and solar, they have a potential advantage: predictability. Tidal currents, says the OEE, “are caused by the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Moon”. The fact that tidal power generation is influenced by “well-known cycles of the moon, sun and earth”, rather than the climate, means that “it is predictable hundreds of years in advance”.
The importance of infrastructure
If countries want to increase their supply of electric vehicles in the coming years and abandon gasoline and diesel, a reliable and sufficient charging infrastructure will be crucial.
Proper charging options will also help to challenge perceptions around “reach anxiety”, a term that refers to the idea that electric vehicles are not able to take long trips without losing energy and getting stuck.
Although the Yell project is small-scale, it is part of a broader shift focusing on the development of loading infrastructure.
The UK’s first courtyard dedicated to charging electric vehicles opened for business last December, for example, while the Volkswagen Group wants to significantly increase the number of charging facilities in Europe, North America and China.