Pentland Firth, Scotland: Atlantis Resources Limited announced February 23 that it had deployed the first AR1500 tidal energy turbine with new Lockheed Martin technology off the coast of Scotland. The installation is the latest development in the MeyGen project designed to harness the motion of the tides to provide clean, sustainable, predictable power for up to 175,000 homes in Scotland.
Under contract and in partnership with Atlantis, Lockheed Martin designed the 1.5 megawatt AR1500 turbine. In addition to system design, Lockheed Martin developed, manufactured and delivered two innovative subsystems, the Yaw Drive System (YDS) and the Variable Pitch System (VPS). The two elements enable the turbine to rotate autonomously around its base, so it always faces into the tidal flow. The pitch angle of the turbine blades also adjusts to optimize the power generation in a given tidal stream.
Installation and connection of the AR1500 was completed with record-breaking efficiency in less than 60 minutes, representing a significant time reduction compared to most similar systems. The operation marks the first time a tidal turbine has been installed and connected to the shore instantaneously.
The MeyGen project is currently the largest planned tidal energy project in the world, the partners say. The site, in the Pentland Firth, just 2 kilometers from Scotland's northeast tip, covers some of the fastest flowing waters in the United Kingdom. Atlantis has a goal to deploy nearly 270 turbines to generate about 400 MW of energy, enough to power 175,000 homes.