Tidal turbine progress in Scotland

16 Aug 2010

Device claiming to be world’s largest tidal turbine to be installed in Orkney, Scotland at the European Marine Energy Centre’s test site.

Unveiled last week by Atlantis Resources in Invergordon, Scotland, the AK1000 tidal turbine will be shipped and installed at a berth at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), located in Orkney, Scotland later this summer when it will supply sustainable power to the local Orkney grid.

According to Atlantis Resources, this tidal turbine will be capable of generating enough electricity for over 1,000 homes and is designed for harsh weather and rough open ocean environments such as those found off the Scottish coast.

Standing 22.5 metres high, the turbine weighs 1,300 tonnes and has a rotor diameter of 18 metres.

Timothy Cornelius, CEO of Atlantis, said: “The AK1000 is capable of unlocking the economic potential of the marine energy industry in Scotland and will greatly boost Scotland’s renewable generation capacity in the years to come.

“Today is not just about our technology, it is about the emergence of tidal power as a viable asset class that will require the development of local supply chains employing local people to deliver sustainable energy to the local grid. The AK1000 takes the industry one step closer to commercial scale tidal power projects.”

Over the past decade, Atlantis has been involved in the commercialisation of tidal power technology around the world. In Scotland, it is pioneering Project Blue, a green data centre project that will aim to have 30MW plus of data centre capacity built in the north of Scotland being powered by Atlantis tidal turbines. 

Carmel Doyle was a long-time reporter with Silicon Republic

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