One-Megawatt Tidal Turbine Installed

A subsea tidal turbine and supporting structure weighing 1,300 metric tons was recently installed in the open ocean of the North Sea near the Scottish Orkney Islands by the Skandi Skolten, a specialized installation vessel owned by Norway-based DOF Subsea.

Hallin Marine Subsea International handled the installation of the one-megawatt AK-1000, the world’s largest rotor diameter subsea tidal turbine, according to project owner Atlantis Resources.

The twin rotor turbine has a rotor diameter of 18 meters (59 feet). Each blade is 7.8 meters (25.6 feet) long with a cone diameter of 2.4 meters (7.8 feet). Overall the structure is more than 25 meters (82 feet) tall and was installed at a depth of 35 meters (115 feet).

After a commissioning and operation program that will last up to three years, the AK1000 will generate power for the local grid in Scotland, according to Atlantis Resources Corporation.