Atlantis wins £7.5 million contract to expand world’s largest tidal energy project in Scotland

By JAMES ROBERTSON

Staff Reporter

Atlantis Resources – owner of the world’s largest planned tidal stream energy project, MeyGen – has won a £7.5 million two year contract with the UK’s Energy Technologies Institute to deliver a multi-turbine foundation structure which will support a further two turbines at it MeyGen tidal stream array in the Pentland Firth.

The agreement with ETI marks the start of Phase 2 of the ETI Tidal Energy Converter Project, which will see two Atlantis-owned 1.5mw commercial tidal energy turbines installed on an innovative foundation structure designed and built as part of the ETI-funded project.

See also:

http://www.scottishenergynews.com/atlantis-raises-50m-to-invest-in-worlds-largest-tidal-energy-project-in-scotland/

 The Energy Technologies Institute is a public-private partnership between global energy and engineering companies – such as BP, Caterpillar, EDF, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell – and the UK Government. The ETI brings together engineering projects that accelerate the development of affordable, secure and sustainable technologies that help the UK address its long term emissions reductions targets as well as delivering nearer term benefits.

This new contract was negotiated separately from Atlantis’ recently funded 6mw tidal turbine array at the MeyGen site.  It will increase the number of turbines at the site from four to six and the rated capacity of the tidal array from 6mw to 9mw – enough to power 4,500 local homes.

The ETI originally commissioned the first phase of the Tidal Energy Converter Project in May 2012 following a competitive tender which was won by a consortium led by Atlantis. 

The Phase 1 development adopted a total system lifetime cost of energy methodology to identify, develop and prove tidal energy system technologies capable of significantly reducing cost of energy and of being deployed at array scale.  As a result, the ETI has developed a patent-pending innovative and cost effective turbine foundation design which will be deployed during TEC Phase 2.

The second phase of the project will run over three stages, commencing with detailed design, fabrication and installation of the innovative turbine foundation structure and associated technologies.  Atlantis will be responsible for turbine supply and electrical connection to the local grid.

Atlantis Resources Limited is a vertically integrated turbine supplier and project developer in the tidal power industry. 

Tim Cornelius, Chief Executive, Atlantis, said: “Phase 2 of the Tidal Energy Converter project will see Atlantis expand its turbine array at the MeyGen site at Scotland and the scale of commercial marine energy generation in the UK.”

 Jonathan Wills, Director, Programme Delivery, ETI, added: “Results from the first phase of the project have provided a number of innovations across array system architectures and their operation and the potential impact in the cost of energy produced.

“In phase 2 we intend to demonstrate the most impactful of the innovations at a real site. The project should further enhance industry and investor confidence in tidal energy and help to unlock its potential as a serious contributor to future energy systems.”