MeyGen ^{The Tide of Change in Caithness}

Technology

The Inner Sound is recognised as a highly active site in terms of tidal flow and high wave frequency and we have been working closely with turbine technology developers including Atlantis Resources Corporation (ARC) and Andritz Hydro Hammerfest (AHH) to ensure that the technology deployed can operate and perform in it. We have made excellent progress in the last year towards achieving this. Although we have two turbine suppliers for the Demonstration Phase, we have ensured that the project design is flexible enough to accommodate other equipment supplier designs also should we need to.

The consenting documentation has a defined design envelop a diagram of which is presented below:

By way of example we have provided an overview of both ARC’s and AHH’s turbine technology below:

ARC – The AR1000

Atlantis Resources Corporation (ARC) has over a decade of experience in development of tidal power devices, culminating in the AR series of turbines for high energy open ocean environments. The first 1MW prototype was deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre in 2011. Further development is currently underway at NAREC to enhance the drive train configuration and control system to ensure that the turbines can survive and perform in an integrated array. More details of ARC can be found at www.atlantisresourcescorporation.com.

AHH – The HS1000

The technology developed by Andritz Hydro Hammerfest (AHH) has received international attention, and it is regarded as one of the leading technologies in its field. The technology is based on experiences from technologies and solutions used in hydro-power, wind energy and offshore oil & gas industries, with focus on sustainable solutions, and have been tested for extended periods to verify its reliability and efficiency. Andritz Hydro Hammerfest is a capable partner for developing and delivering state-of-the-art solutions for reliable and cost effective energy production. The HS1000 is a 1MW pre-commercial demonstrator deployed at the EMEC tidal test site in the Orkney Isles.

The device is essentially a scaled up version of the HS300, with some changes made to accommodate the facilities at the EMEC tidal test site. The turbine is heavily instrumented and will serve as a platform for future research and development activities. More details of AHH can be found at www.hammerfeststrom.com.