The MeyGen project is located in the Pentland Firth, north of Scotland and marks the only commercial multi-turbine array to have the construction started
Image: GE Power will provide the tidal turbine generators and power converters for the project. Photo: Courtesy of General Electric.
SIMEC Atlantis has selected GE Power, the GE’s Power Conversion business, as preferred supplier to deliver the electrical systems for the MeyGen tidal development.
The MeyGen project is located in the Pentland Firth, north of Scotland and marks the only commercial multi-turbine array to have the construction started.
Atlantis turbine and engineering services director Drew Blaxland said: “We are excited to partner with GE to deliver the MeyGen tidal project. We strongly believe that the project has the potential to provide home-grown transformation of the U.K. energy market and will redefine what the world can expect from renewable tidal energy.”
The MeyGen tidal development has been generating power since a year and the recent contract is expected to advance the development at the project to the second phase, known as Project Stroma, to add another 6MW of power generation capacity.
GE Power Conversion business CEO Azeez Mohammed said: “There is in total 300,000 gigawatts of untapped tidal energy hidden under the waters – a potential that is simply too big to be ignored. Breaking through the barriers of innovation within marine power, the pioneering MeyGen project is a prime example of what advanced technology could deliver.”
GE Power to provide tidal turbine generators for the MeyGen project
Under the contract, GE Power will provide the tidal turbine generators, the power converters for conversion and smoothing of the irregular power before transmitting to the grid.
GE said that it has already started working with Atlantis de-risking the overall system using its extensive electrical systems knowledge and capability.
GE Power Conversion business industry, power, water and wind CEO Gagan Sood said: “This is a major step forward towards large-scale tidal energy production, which makes the MeyGen tidal stream application a pathfinder for the future of tidal energy for the U.K. and around the world. We are committed to doing our part in innovating green energy to meet growing cleaner energy demands.”