In the final stages of completion and now fully operational, the MeyGen project in the Pentland Firth is a game changer for tidal energy. Sitting between the islands of Great Britain and Mainland, this small stretch of water has an incredible amount of potential to become home to one of the world’s biggest tidal energy sites. The MeyGen project is spearheaded by SIMEC Atlantis Energy. This is a subsidiary of VENDCo, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Business Corporation Limited (BCL) and Soteco – which stands for Société de Transformation et de Capitalisation du Congo. Together, these three organizations make up the company known as SIMEC Atlantis Energy; a company that operates across many sectors from mining to renewable energy.
What is the MeyGen project?
The MeyGen project is a major tidal energy project that is being constructed in the Pentland Firth. The Pentland Firth is between the islands of Great Britain and Mainland. This is a small area of water with incredible potential to become home to one of the world’s biggest tidal energy sites. The project is spearheaded by SIMEC Atlantis Energy, which is a subsidiary of VENDCo, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Business Corporation Limited (BCL) and Soteco – which stands for Société de Transformation et de Capitalisation du Congo.
Installing the last of its 6 MW turbines
The MeyGen project is set to have 16 6 MW turbines installed, with two turbines already installed and operational. The next two turbines were scheduled for installation in December of 2018 and January of 2019, with the final eight turbines to be installed in 2020. Due to a brief delay, the last two turbines were installed on the 17th of April, marking the completion of the installation of all six turbines. The turbines are now fully operational, generating over 10% of their full capacity. When fully functional, the MeyGen project is expected to produce enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 51,000 homes. Installing the last of its 6 MW turbines marks a significant milestone for the tidal energy project.
What does this mean for tidal energy?
For tidal energy, this is a significant milestone. Tidal energy has been a renewable energy source that has been in the process of development for some time. The MeyGen project, however, marks the first time that commercial-scale turbines have been installed and fully operational. With these turbines now in operation, tidal energy can be expected to expand over the next few years. This is likely to result in the production of more tidal energy. In turn, the ability for tidal energy to become a source of significant power looks ever more likely. This is largely thanks to the MeyGen project, which has now become a key milestone in the development of tidal energy.
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