MeyGen will benefit from new partnership deal

THE next stage of the MeyGen tidal energy project in the Pentland Firth will benefit from a partnership deal agreed by Simec Atlantis – the company behind the initiative – and General Electric.

The two companies will work together on Project Stroma, the second phase of the development which will result in two Atlantis AR2000 turbines being installed in the Inner Sound. They will be connected by a new subsea hub to a single power export cable which will be linked to the MeyGen substation and on to the National Grid. Four demonstration turbines have already been installed.

The AR2000 is said to be "the world's largest and most powerful single axis turbine available." It will be offered for sale to commercial developers.

Simec Atlantis' Turbine and Engineering Services Division (ATES) and GE's power conversion business signed the technology partnership and preferred supplier agreement.

Under the terms of the deal, the companies will work together and share resources for the ongoing development of tidal energy generation and associated energy storage solutions. They will also engage in joint marketing activities to promote their innovative new subsea connection technologies and the wider benefits of cleaner, predictable tidal energy.

Drew Blaxland, director of ATES, said: "GE is a world leader in power conversion equipment development and supply. The AR2000 is expected to be the world’s largest single axis tidal turbine and it will be deployed on the world’s largest tidal power project. We want to partner with the world’s best companies; leaders in technology and innovation. This agreement with GE is a clear demonstration of our commitment to working with industry leading companies to deliver utility scale tidal power. As the sole supplier of turbine generation equipment to the second phase of the MeyGen Project in Scotland, partnering with GE unlocks enormous opportunities to build on 10 years of research and development to deliver more cost-effective, cleaner tidal power solutions for developers around the world.

"We expect the AR2000 will become the system of choice for developers of tidal power projects around the world. Developed and built in Britain and then exported around the world."

Peter Oram, commercial director of GE’s power conversion business, said: "We are delighted to be working together towards cleaner energy solutions – harnessing natural resources, like tidal energy, and applying GE’s efficient MV power conversion technologies allows us to turn this abundant source of energy into reliable, predictable power, for the UK and the world."

The demonstration array was installed to show the project is commercially viable and technically feasible with lessons drawn from the construction, installation, operation and maintenance fed into subsequent phases.

Longer term, the intention is to put in a total of 269 turbines.

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