First power has been produced from the MeyGen tidal energy project site in the Pentland Firth, Scotland.
Atlantis Resources, the firm behind the project, says that a 1.5 MW tidal turbine has been successfully installed and connected to an onshore grid export point, marking a major milestone for the project.
The turbine, provided by Andritz Hydro Hammerfest (AFH), is the first of four 1.5 MW tidal stream turbines set for installation at the site in the first, 6 MW phase of the project.
Atlantis hopes to eventually expand the site to a 400 MW scheme. A second, 6 MW phase will start construction in 2017, the firm said.
“This is the moment we have been working towards since we first identified the MeyGen site back in 2007,” said Atlantis CEO, Tim Cornelius. “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 success of this first phase is a foundation for the tidal industry to build upon to ensure we develop a new energy sector which can deliver clean, predictable and affordable power from the UK’s own abundant resources.”