Tidal power firm Atlantis Resources officially unveiling its MeyGen Project, the world's largest free stream tidal power project, at the Nigg Energy Park (Nigg) in Scotland this morning.
The event was attended by Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, who officially unveiled the MeyGen Project.
The four 1.5MW turbines to be installed on Phase 1A of the project weigh almost 200-tonne each and have rotor diameter of 18m. They will be positioned on top of their foundation structures on the quayside at Nigg ready for deployment to the MeyGen site in the Pentland Firth.
Today also saw James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) announce it had won preferred supplier status for a five-year period in connection with the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the MeyGen Phase 1A tidal turbines, which have been supplied by Andritz Hydro Hammerfest and Atlantis. Three of the turbines are being installed and connected later this year by JFMS.
Additionally, MeyGen has agreed, subject to terms, to secure the services of JFMS’s HF4 tidal energy vessel, specifically developed for the challenging working conditions in the tidal environment significantly increasing operational windows and reducing project costs, to underpin delivery of the preferred O&M supplier scope.
After the unveiling ceremony, the turbines and their foundations, each weighing more than 1000-tonne, will be transported to the project site in the Pentland Firth by the Neptune, a DP2 jackup vessel operated by Geosea, a subsidiary of the DEME Group.
The unveiling follows the MeyGen project's successful connection to the National Grid at the Ness of Quoys distribution network in June 2016, following the installation of 33kV power export cables by the network operator, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD).
Atlantis remains on track to deliver first power to the grid from MeyGen Phase 1A later this year, which will be a landmark event for the global marine power industry. When completed, the MeyGen project will consist of 269 turbines and generate enough energy to power 175,000 UK homes.
Tim Cornelius, CEO of Atlantis Resources: "Today marks a historic milestone not just for Atlantis and our project partners, but for the entire global tidal power industry. It gives me enormous pride to have reached this juncture after 10 years of tireless work, preparation and planning by everyone associated with this project.
"This is the day the tidal power industry announced itself as the most exciting new asset class of renewable, sustainable generation in the UK's future energy mix. This is an industry that is creating jobs and is contributing to making Britain great again and Scotland is the undisputed world leader of this high growth sector. 2016 has proved to be an incredible year for the Company and our shareholders and we look forward to commissioning this phase of the project and then focussing on achieving financial close of Phase 1B, as soon as possible."
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