Atlantis Plans Testing of World's Biggest Tidal Turbine

The AK-1000 turbine, which has rotors that are 18 meters in diameter, has a capacity of 1 MW. 

The turbine will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Center test site next year.

Tim Cornelius, chief executive officer at Atlantis, said the company is investing about $25 million to build and test the turbine.

“We are finalizing the tender for manufacturers,” Cornelius said.  “We are making this in the UK for the first time.”

Smaller versions previously have been made elsewhere.

Atlantis has invested more than $50 million over the last decade in the design, development and testing of tidal turbines.  Much of that research went into designing the AK-1000, which is capable of performing in harsh environments, Cornelius said.

  “This one is built for the harsh marine environment we will get as we go into the North Sea in Orkney,” Cornelius said.  “This is one of the harshest environments in the world.”