MeyGen - Scotland
In July 2016, ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest reached a significant milestone with the delivery of a 195 ton tidal current turbine for the MeyGen tidal energy project in the Inner Sound of Pentland Firth, Scotland.
This is the largest commercial tidal energy project under development worldwide and it is the company’s first commercial tidal current turbine (for more about tidal turbines, see Hydro News 27).
ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest signed a contract with Edinburgh-based Mey-Gen Ltd. to supply three 1.5 MW tidal turbines to its MeyGen Phase 1A project in late July 2014. Following Phase 1A, MeyGen is planning to install an overall capacity of 398 MW – providing predictable, renewable energy into the national grid.
Work on the turbine commenced in mid-September 2014. Its major components - such as the rotor blades, hub and front plate, pitch and yawing system as well as the assembly of the turbine – are being supplied by ANDRITZ HYDRO Germany. Subsequent to the electrical and mechanical assembly works, the turbine passed a comprehensive series of tests at the workshop. Prior to offshore installation, the turbine has been delivered to Scotland for final assembly of the hub, the rotor blades and the yawing system, which had to be transported separately due to size and weight restrictions on the transport route.
Installation of the first turbine at the offshore site took place in early November 2016. Turbines number two and three have been assembled and were tested at the workshop in Germany in August 2016. The installation at the offshore site for turbine #2 was end of November 2016 and for turbine #3 in December 2016. The anticipated average generation of each turbine is some 4.4 GWh per year.
Realization of this project is an important step toward the sustainable development of stable, clean and renewable energy resources from the ocean and a major contribution to future power generation.
TECHNICAL DATA
| Type | Mk1 |
| Output | 3×1.5 MW |
| Blade diameter | 18,400 mm |
| Installation depth | 50 m |
