Atlantis turbine connected to grid

International marine energy developer, Atlantis Resources Corporation, has connected its 1MW AR1000 tidal turbine to the grid at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

The AR1000 becomes Scotland’s first grid-connected, commercial-scale tidal turbine, marking, the company says, a crucial milestone in the development of the marine energy industry.

The AR1000 is currently the world’s most powerful single-rotor tidal turbine, rated to dispatch 1MW of predictable power at a water velocity of 2.65m/s.  Its 18m rotor diameter also makes it one of the largest turbines ever built, standing 22.5 meters high and weighing 1, 500 tonnes.  A full commissioning programme is now underway at EMEC and is expected to take three months.

The three-bladed turbine will be tested over the next two years, ahead of commercial system roll-out into the MeyGen project in the Pentland Firth.