Six Weeks Of Testing For First Turbine Destined for Pentland Firth

28th June 2016

Atlantis Resources AR1500 tidal turbine is to undergo a six-week pre-commissioning testing programme at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult's drivetrain facility.

The tests at the National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth will validate the performance of the turbine's drivetrain before it is installed at the 6MW MeyGen Phase 1A array in the Pentland Firth later this year.

The checks are the final stage of development that will give Atlantis, MeyGen the information that the turbine is ready to be deployed and to start generating power.

The Catapult’s 3MW test rig will be used to inject torque into the drive train to support the commissioning and validation of the AR1500 prior to deployment.

Atlantis turbines and engineering services director Drew Blaxland said: "Over the next few weeks, we will be running through final checks and gathering data to ensure the turbine is absolutely ready for deployment.

"ORE Catapult’s Blyth facilities are invaluable for us as they enable robust and reliable testing of our equipment, so naturally this is a very important stage of the development process for the AR1500 turbine."

The AR1500 is owned by Atlantis Resources, with design and manufacturing supported by engineering giant Lockheed Martin.

ORE Catapult is working with Atlantis Resources on the €1.3m Eurostars project to drive forward the development and deployment of the AR1500 tidal turbine.

ORE Catapult operations director Tony Quinn added: "By using our testing facilities, they have been able to gather invaluable real-world data on performance and commission the AR1500, essential to guiding the development of a turbine fit for use in the Pentland Firth."

PHOTO
Atlantis chief financial officer Simon Counsell and director of turbines Drew Blaxland.