The first power has been produced at the MeyGen tidal power site in Scotland, according to project developer Atlantis Resources Ltd.
The work allowed turbine manufacturer Andritz Hydro Hammerfest to establish communications and verify the operation of safety and monitoring systems. Now, Atlantis said, Andritz and onshore frequency convertor supplier ABB Ltd. are working to tune the turbine’s control system for optimal generation.
“This is the moment we have been working toward since we first identified the MeyGen site back in 2007, and I am immensely proud of and grateful for the remarkable team of people who have contributed to this milestone,” Atlantis CEO Tim Cornelius said. “I look forward to bringing more news of the project development over the coming weeks and months as we move into the full operational phase.”
The company also announced it will name one of the 1.5 MW turbines to be installed during MeyGen’s initial phase after Calum Davidson in honor of his contributions to the Scottish marine power sector.
“This project would not exist without Calum,” Cornelius said. “We faced many problems along the path to financial close: finance, licenses, leases, grid and so on. Every time things seemed really bad, I would turn to Calum and he would find a way to make it work. He believes in us and what we are doing. More importantly, he believes in the future of the marine power industry that he has helped create in Scotland. He is one of the reasons why Scotland leads the world in tidal energy development.”
MeyGen is located in Scotland’s Pentland Firth and could ultimately have a capacity of nearly 400 MW, pending expansions after this phase.HydroWorld.com reported the array had been connected to the 33 kV Ness of Quoys distribution network in June.Atlantis acquired MeyGen through an all-share deal with MCT last May, which had in turn purchased the majority stake in the company from Siemens in February 2012.
