Marine Hydropower Firm Atlantis Deploys Tidal Turbine at European Marine Energy Centre

The installation follows the tidal turbine unveiling ceremony, held in Invergordon on August 12th. Producing 1 MW of power, the AK1000 is capable of generating enough electricity for 1,000 homes, Atlantis reported. It is designed for harsh weather and rough, open ocean environments, such as those found off the Scottish coast. The turbine has an 18 meter rotor diameter, weighs 130 tons and stands at a height of 22.5 meters.

Drew Blaxland, chief technology officer at Atlantis, said: "The entire team at Atlantis, together with our onshore and offshore technology and construction partners, is delighted with this installation program. The large rotor diameter of the turbine and the tight tidal windows we had to operate within presented significant challenges, but these were overcome with meticulous preparation, a 'can-do' attitude and the discipline to apply the right resources to what was a major offshore engineering operation."

The AK1000 will now undergo electrical connection to the power export cable recently laid by EMEC at its facility, located at the Fall of Warness in Orkney. These operations are expected to take up to two weeks, depending on weather conditions. Atlantis has established a dedicated control center on the Island of Eday from which the AK1000 turbine can be controlled and monitored.