By K.Steiner-Dicks on Mar 25, 2014

Designed to function in highly energetic tidal locations, the AR1500 turbine will be one of the largest single rotor turbines ever developed and will have active rotor pitch and full nacelle yaw rotation.

Atlantis has taken Lockheed on board so that its turbine design can have increased capability and an integrated, advanced functionality that will help bring commercial tidal energy to reality, and will initially support the MeyGen project in Scotland’s Pentland Firth and deployment in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

“With us acquiring the MeyGen project, and receiving full consents to begin construction of the project’s first phase, it has been an amazing 12 months of growth for Atlantis,” said Tim Cornelius, chief executive officer of Atlantis Resources Ltd. “Our AR1500 development program with Lockheed Martin will ultimately deliver the rapidly growing tidal energy industry the most advanced, robust and powerful tidal turbine system available on the market.”

Once completed, the MeyGen project – the world’s largest tidal stream project under development – is expected to deliver up to 398 megawatts of power, enough energy to power 200,000 homes. The MeyGen project will contribute to Scotland’s goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2020.

Last year, Lockheed Martin and Atlantis entered into an exclusive teaming partnership to develop technology, components and projects in the tidal power sector on a global basis. The new AR1500 tidal turbine Lockheed Martin is designing is expected to be one of the most technologically advanced and robust turbines ever produced.

The two companies have been working together for four years, most recently on the delivery of the Energy Technologies Institute TEC Demonstrator program, which is aimed at bringing a step-change reduction in the cost of deploying tidal turbines in commercial arrays.