The company that will manufacture the blades for a bank of tidal turbines off the coast of Shetland has been announced.

Shetland Composites bagged the six-month deal from Edinburgh-based Nova Innovation, which is developing five 100kW tidal turbines.

The Shetland Tidal Array will be built in two phases, with commissioning of the first three scheduled for the end of next year. They will have the capacity to power around 300 homes.

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The seas around Scotland have the potential to provide us with a sustainable, renewable energy source. We will do all we can to help companies such as Nova innovation to access these resources.”

Earlier this year Scottish Enterprise and the Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) said they would provide £1.85 million of funding for the project.