ORE Catapult and Atlantis Test AR1500 Tidal Turbine in Blyth

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Atlantis Resources informed that the 1.5MW tidal turbine, the AR1500, will undergo a six week test programme at the National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth.

ORE Catapult is working with Atlantis Resources on the €1.3m Eurostars project to drive forward the development and deployment of the AR1500 tidal turbine, the series which is to be installed at MeyGen, the UK’s first tidal array, in the Pentland Firth off the Scottish coast.

The Catapult’s 3MW power train test rig will be used to simulate the dynamic forces the turbine will experience during operation. This type of testing is critical to ensuring that any technical issues are resolved prior to deployment, minimising the risk of early complications and unplanned maintenance, the company said in a press release.

Preparations for the test are currently underway. ORE Catapult and Atlantis are working together to develop the test plans to simulate, as close as possible, the real life operating conditions of the turbine. ORE Catapult has also started the design of the steelwork required to hold the turbine in position during load testing.

Tony Quinn, Operations Director at ORE Catapult, said: “The MeyGen project is strategically important, reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in tidal development, and so I’m very pleased to welcome back Atlantis and to be able to support them in the testing and validation of their next generation tidal turbine.

“Here at the Catapult, we work collaboratively with innovators such as Atlantis to help develop their ideas into market ready technologies. Our range of testing assets and methods helps to reduce risk in new innovative designs and generate confidence in their performance, ultimately tackling some of the industry’s major technology challenges to drive down the cost of offshore renewable energy.”

Luke Murray, Design Director at Atlantis Resources, said: “We are delighted to be working with ORE Catapult again. The ability to check the performance characteristics of the turbine, validate the control system, and prove the AR1500’s reliability prior to deployment is a critical element in the technology’s development lifecycle and will provide the market and investors with value-added confidence.”