Humza Yousaf visits Nova Innovation as Scotland's first floating solar panels set to be installed

Sky News

Updated 11 April 2023 at 9:44 am·2-min read

Scotland's first array of floating solar panels are set to be installed this year.

The project is part of plans to generate renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions.

On Tuesday, First Minister Humza Yousaf toured Nova Innovation in Leith, Edinburgh, where the panels are being tested ahead of their launch.

Mr Yousaf said: "These panels give a fascinating glimpse into the opportunities for Scotland's future energy system and are the first step towards harnessing our significant potential for floating solar."

Nova Innovation installed the world's first offshore tidal turbine array off the coast of Shetland in 2016.

The company subsequently received £6.4m from the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) in 2021 to help boost its production of innovative renewable energy generators.

It has since established project sites in Canada, France and Indonesia.

The first minister said: "The investment by the Scottish National Investment Bank in Nova Innovation helped expand its manufacturing base here in Leith and aligned strongly with the Scottish government's priority of supporting innovative technology that will help us achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

"Scotland is already one of the most advanced hubs in Europe for the testing and demonstration of marine energy technology and I look forward to seeing where the panels will be launched in the near future."

The official launch of the installation will take place later this year with a multi-megawatt international order already reportedly in the pipeline.

Click to subscribe to ClimateCast with Tom Heap wherever you get your podcasts

Simon Forrest, chief executive of Nova Innovation, said: "With record-high energy prices and growing concerns over security of supply, there is an immediate need for Scotland to focus on homegrown energy from our abundant natural resources.

"Scotland is at the heart of the tidal energy revolution and Nova continues to lead the sector with proven technology and unrivalled reliability. With the addition of floating solar to our portfolio, we are ideally placed to help drive the race to net zero.

"We were honoured to welcome the first minister to discuss the economic benefits, job creation opportunities and the part Scotland can play in the global supply for renewable energy."

Hello!
King Charles made balcony change at Trooping the Colour that affected Princess Kate - and you may not have noticed
King Charles made a subtle yet meaningful balcony change involving Princess Kate at this year's Trooping the Colour. Get the details…
Manchester Evening News
Horror as dad stopped at UK airport on flight back home and sent back to Spain
“They told him we’ll all have to go to Spain and start a new life there, or that we should separate and he should go back to Spain by himself - it’s just horrible"
The Telegraph
Inside Britain’s shrinking town – as the rest of the nation faces record immigration
Clouds overlook endless miles of flat fields surrounding a town that was once one of the UK’s most prosperous.
Hello!
Princess Charlotte helps mum Princess Kate in sweet Trooping the Colour moment – see
Princess Charlotte was right alongside her mum, Kate Middleton, as the Princess of Wales appeared at Trooping the Colour – and in a sweet moment the young girl could be seen helping her mother
Hello!
Prince William and Kate release emotional behind-the-scenes footage featuring tender moment with Princess Charlotte
Prince William and Kate Middleton have released an emotional behind-the-scenes video featuring tender family moment with Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George...
Manchester Evening News
Mum, 42, fighting for her life in Spain after family holiday turns to horror as they prepared to fly home
Stephanie Williams' family are facing a staggering hospital bill as she remains in a 'very critical condition in intensive care' having collapsed hours before flying home
OK! Magazine
Riverdance star Michael Flatley says £25 million castle gave him aggressive cancer
Riverdance star Michael Flatley has opened up about his cancer battle and his belief that his large Irish castle is to blame for his shock diagnosis 18 months ago
The Independent
Her middle school security guard held her captive for 10 years. Now Tanya Kach is revealing how she survived a decade locked upstairs
Tanya Kach was 14 years old when she vanished in 1996. A decade later, she was found at her middle school security guard’s home, where she was being kept captive. Now, with the help of fellow kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, she’s telling her story. Andrea Cavallier reports
Evening Standard
Bear Grylls 'to stand down as chief scout' after he baptised Russell Brand in Thames
Adventurer Bear Grylls became chief scout in 2020
The Telegraph
France is on the brink of all-out civil conflict
As some 500,000 Left-wingers marched in France’s cities yesterday, shouting anti-Fascist slogans, never had Lenin’s phrase seemed more apposite: “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”
The National
Huge poll predicts every seat in Scotland in General Election
A FRESH poll has predicted the result of every seat in the General Election, with the Tories set to retain just one seat in Scotland.
People
Prince William and His Aunt Sophie Share Touching Moment on Palace Balcony at Trooping the Colour
The Duchess of Edinburgh had a kind move towards her nephew as the festivities came to a close
OK! Magazine
What disgraced Prince Andrew was meant to do at Trooping the Colour before he was stripped of titles
The Trooping the Colour celebration will see the Royal Family coming together for the day – but one notable and divisive figure will be missing from the line-up
OK! Magazine
Katie Price opens up on 'surgery plans' for daughter Princess Andre - 'She's seen everything'
Katie Price has opened up about daughter Princess Andre's cosmetic surgery plans - and is adamant that the teen won't follow in her footsteps when it comes to going under the knife
Hello!
Joan Collins, 91, is a summer bombshell in glamorous beachwear during lavish holiday photo
Joan Collins never fails when it comes to her fashion and her summer St Tropez wardrobe didn't disappoint. See photo.
The Telegraph
Are you ‘far-Right’? Take our quiz!
We hear the term “far-Right” a lot these days. Or at least, we do if we get our news from the BBC, The Guardian or prominent Left-wing pundits. But what precisely do they mean by it? Unfortunately, they rarely say. They tend to just call a party, politician or group of voters “far-Right”, and leave it at that.
AFP
Shunned by West, Russian army deserters live in fear
Russian officer Farkhad Ziganshin had prepared himself for a life of military service since a young age.- 'Live with dignity' - Ziganshin went to a military boarding school at the age of 10 and graduated from a military academy that prepares Russian tank commanders.
The Telegraph
Bradley Wiggins’s tragic fall from Olympic hero to broke couch-surfer
In the heady summer of 2012, Sir Bradley Wiggins was at the height of his fame. Already a successful cyclist with six Olympic medals under his belt, he became a household name as the first Briton to win the Tour de France. He was chosen to strike the bell to open the London Olympics in front of an audience of millions, was named Sports Personality of the Year that December, and soon after was knighted for his services to cycling. The public called him “Sir Wiggo”; the Sun newspaper issued a stic
Business Insider
Ukraine proves it can target the Russian air force's weakest link
Ukraine appears to have hit on a strategy to strike back at the Russian jets lobbing glide bombs at its defenses.
Cosmo
Blake Lively looks gorgeous in exposed bra and sheer shirt
Actress Blake Lively wore a sheer mini dress with exposed bra detailing for a 'This Ends With Us' book event and dished about the forthcoming film

Latest stories