ABB, has achieved a contract from Atlantis Resources to provide onshore grid connection for the MeyGen tidal stream project Phase 1 in Scotland’s Pentland Firth.
The MeyGen tidal stream project will harvest the tidal resources of the strait connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea between the Orkney Islands and the Scottish mainland.
The first 6 MW of demonstration phase consist of four submerged turbines installed in the Inner Pentland Firth just north of Caithness, and the first power is expected to be delivered by 2016.
The initial phase of the MeyGen development has the potential to generate up to 86 MW of electricity.
The produced power is sufficient for around 42,000 homes, catering to the needs of 40 percent of homes in the Scottish Highlands.
ABB is in charge of the onshore power conversion and grid connection systems that feed the electricity into the local grid.
The project scope includes design, engineering, supply and commissioning, switchgear and transformer solution and civil engineering and cabling works. Major product supplies include transformers, medium voltage switchgear and power converters.
This project reaffirms the faith of customers in ABB’s technology and capability to deliver efficient grid connections which play a key role in integrating renewables, said, Claudio Facchin, head, Power Systems division, ABB.
Besides, this tidal stream has vast energy potential, with estimated ocean currents at 5 meters per second.
This partnership is vital in delivering tidal power projects that help in harnessing the untapped potential of global tidal resources. ABB has demonstrated their expertise in this area and they will deliver the highest quality results ensuring success of the MeyGen project, said, Tim Cornelius, CEO, Atlantis Resources.
In future, MeyGen will deploy 398 MW of offshore tidal stream turbines in the Pentland Firth to supply clean energy.