Model AR2000 - Tidal Generation System
Atlantis and GE have already been working in partnership since September 2018 on the development and performance validation of Atlantis’ AR2000 tidal generation system, which is expected to be the world’s largest and most powerful single axis turbine available. This record-breaking system is expected to be deployed on future phases of Atlantis’ iconic MeyGen Project in Scotland, the wider Atlantis project pipeline and will also be available for sale to commercial developers. This next generation turbine will be capable of accommodating rotor diameters of between 20 – 24 meters, site dependent, with a cut in speed of less than one meter per second and a maximum output of 2.0 MW at 3.05 m/s for a machine with a 20 meter rotor diameter.
The AR2000 has been in development for over two years and builds on the successes and lessons learned from the AR1500 deployment and operation on the world leading MeyGen project in Scotland. SAE has invested more than £5m in the development of this machine which is expected to be deployed on future phases of the MeyGen Project and will be available for sale to commercial developers in Q4 2019.
The AR2000 will feature an innovative new electro-mechanical pitch system, 360 degrees of yaw, upgraded onboard health monitoring and diagnostics systems and optimised critical system redundancy. The AR2000 will have a 25-year design life with quarter-life interventions for routine maintenance. The system utilises a quick connect wet-mate system, designed for rapid and safe deployment on either a gravity base or mono-pylon of up to eight turbines per day.
The partnership with GE will play a key role in the delivery of equipment and services to the second phase of the MeyGen Project, known as Project Stroma, which will see two additional Atlantis AR2000 turbines connected via a new subsea hub to a single power export cable, which will then be connected via the MeyGen substation to the National Grid. It is also anticipated that the AR2000 will be deployed at the Mull of Galloway, Sound of Islay, Portland Bill, Strangford Lough and Lombok sites. You can find out more about our projects here.
