Atlantis Resources Limited MeyGen Phase 1A approaches 400MWh of generation
March 23 2017 - 3:01AM
RNS Non-Regulatory
TIDMARL
Atlantis Resources Limited
23 March 2017
23 March 2017
Atlantis Resources Limited
("Atlantis" or the "Company")
MeyGen Phase 1A approaches 400MWh of generation
Atlantis, a global leader in the tidal power sector, confirms
that having entered operation in November 2016 and been awarded
full Ofgem accreditation as a 5 ROC project in February 2017, the
MeyGen array continues to deliver clean, sustainable and
predictable electricity to the National Grid. In the first three
weeks of March, average generation has been sufficient to power the
equivalent of 1,250 UK homes and individually the power performance
of the turbines has exceeded the contractual output guarantees,
putting the project on track to achieve capacity factors
significantly in excess of 40%.
The three turbines from Andritz Hydro Hammerfest (AHH), which
were installed between November 2016 and January 2017, are now
scheduled to undergo onshore inspection to permit AHH to implement
system enhancements derived from the lessons learned during the
initial period of operations. The turbines will then be redeployed
in the next available tidal window, further validating the rapid
retrieval and installation methodology which ensures cost effective
operations and maintenance for the subsea assets.
The AR1500 system delivered by Atlantis has an even greater
focus on accessibility for maintenance, with a proprietary
connection system which allows for installation or retrieval in a
single short operation at the turn of the tide. Following
demonstration of this system on installation in February, the
AR1500 is now operating autonomously at full output, exceeding all
expectations.
The turbine installation campaign has shown that offshore
operations can successfully be carried out throughout the year,
rather than being restricted to the more climatically benign summer
months. This is an important finding for the project's future
phases and for the drive to maximising availability and reducing
cost of energy through efficient marine operations and minimised
downtime. The use of jack-up vessels for the installation of the
foundations in the autumn of 2016 also contributes to the cost
reduction mission by confirming that these vessels can operate
safely in high energy tidal environments. A jack-up vessel provides
a stable platform which allows for deployment of drilled foundation
systems, which are less labour and material intensive than their
gravity based equivalents as used in Phase 1A.
David Taaffe, Project Director, said: "The initial operations
phase of MeyGen Phase 1A has been a resounding success, and we hope
that our achievements will now catalyse further tidal stream
developments throughout Europe and worldwide to capitalise on this
unique and untapped resource. Turbine production performance has
been excellent, and the performance of the AR1500 turbine has been
particularly impressive."
"We are delighted with the performance of the AR1500," said Drew
Blaxland, Director of Turbines and Engineering Services at
Atlantis. "Our initial data analysis shows that the AR1500 is
producing at least 4% more energy than the guaranteed contractual
baseline, and we anticipate that this will improve further as more
data is captured. This performance, coupled with our rapid and
effective deployment system, puts the Atlantis system in a class of
its own."
Rudolf Bauernhofer, Managing Director of AHH, said: "We have
learned a great deal from the first few months of operation and
have been very pleased with both the autonomous running capability
of the turbines and their energy production which is well above the
guaranteed value as assessment of initial data has demonstrated.
We've identified some improvements based on the 250MWh of energy
generated in the initial period of operations and we are working to
implement these to ensure we get the best out of the turbines for
years to come."
Enquiries:
Atlantis Resources via FTI Consulting
Tim Cornelius, Chief Executive Officer
Simon Counsell, Chief Financial Officer
FTI Consulting +44 (0)20 3727 1000
Ben Brewerton
Alex Beagley
James Styles
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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