News this week

Atlantis Resources Corporation unveiled its AK-1000 (see picture) at Invergordon last week. Neil Kermode and Richard Morris of EMEC travelled to the unveiling before the turbine was shipped to Kirkwall in preparation for installation on EMEC’s tidal test site. The device stands 22.5m (73ft) tall and weighs 1,300 tonnes, making it the largest bladed turbine of its type due to its rotor diameter of 18m (59ft). Crane Vessel Skandi Skolten then commenced work on the tidal site this week with installation of the gravity base structure.

TGL continued works on their tripod foundation at the Fall of Warness this week too, utilising the DP Dive Support Vessel “Alliance”. With Voith Hydro also on site with the jack up barge “Pauline”, the tidal site has been particularly active over recent weeks.

In Norway, First Minister Alex Salmond praised world leading work by EMEC in encouraging the development of wave and tidal technologies. After the announcement that Scottish businesses have secured contracts worth £4 million to build the prototype turbine for Hammerfest Strøm UK, a company jointly owned by ScottishPower Renewables and Norwegian energy firms, Mr Salmond said “This is another example of how the European Marine Energy Centre, our wave and tidal technical test centre in Orkney, is continuing to pay dividends through further overseas investment in Scotland.” The 1 megawatt (MW) HS1000 device is due to be installed at Orkney-based EMEC next year.