Tidal Turbines

Tidal turbines are fixed to the seabed either via a gravity base or fixed (drilled) pylons. They are connected to the grid via an armoured power export cable and are typically controlled via a standard SCADA system. Our tidal turbines have active pitch and yaw and can be installed quickly offshore, once the foundations are established on the seabed.

A typical turbine has an operational life of 25 years, with a 5-year maintenance cycle.

The Atlantis turbine division is the amalgamation of two of the world’s leading tidal turbine generation teams – the Marine Current Turbines SeaGen team and Atlantis Turbine and Engineering Services team – brought together via acquisition in 2015.

Marine or tidal currents, unlike many other forms of renewable energy, are a consistent source of kinetic energy caused by regular tidal cycles influenced by the phases of the moon.  Intermittency is a problem for wind, wave and solar power as the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow.  These sources of renewable energy often require backup from traditional forms of power generation. However, the inherent predictability of tidal power is highly attractive for grid management, removing the need for back-up plants powered by fossil fuels.  Tidal turbines are installed on the seabed at locations with high tidal current velocities, or strong continuous ocean currents where they extract energy from the flowing water.

The unique design of subsea connection systems for the AR1500 and SeaGen turbines allows capture of the maximum amount of tidal energy whilst keeping maintenance and connectivity costs low. Unlike a wind turbine, all of the power conditioning equipment (inverters, converters and frequency controllers) are located onshore in the substation building, enabling quick and easy access in the event of unscheduled faults.

Once a foundation has been established on the seabed floor, a turbine can be installed in a very short amount of time. Typically, it takes 45 minutes to install a turbine nacelle and 45 minutes to retrieve it. No divers are involved in this operation.