UK-based Atlantis, the majority owner of the world’s largest tidal stream energy project, MeyGen, has announced it has executed a construction contract with USA-headquartered advanced technology company Lockheed Martin for the delivery of Atlantis’ new 1.5-megawatt AR1500 turbine to fulfil the company’s MeyGen project turbine supply obligations.

The 18-metre rotor diameter AR1500 turbine, scheduled for delivery dockside in Scotland in 2016, will be one of the largest capacity single rotor turbines ever built. The AR1500 turbine will have an active rotor pitching system and full nacelle yawing capability.

The Lockheed Martin turbine construction contract scope includes the manufacture of the steel turbine housing, the assembly of all the turbine modules (including the gearbox and generator) and the systems integration and quality assurance of the overall turbine delivery programme. Lockheed and Atlantis are working with the supply chain in Scotland to maximise local content for the AR1500, said a spokesman.

Atlantis CEO Tim Cornelius added: “This new multi-million pound contract with Lockheed Martin further develops the strong relationship that exists between the two companies who are at the forefront of tidal power generation.”

Osiris, part of James Fisher and Sons, UK, has completed a long-term project started in spring 2014, carrying out a wide-range of services with cross-trained personnel on the 219-megawatt wind farm Humber Gateway, based eight kilometres off the Holderness coast in East Yorkshire.

Osiris provided a Cougar-XT ROV to conduct seabed inspection work and transition piece cable pull-in teams. The teams mobilised from its shoreside support base in Grimsby using a moored, large multi-cat vessel and the ROV conducted around 30 dives in free-swimming mode.

Aiden West, managing director of Osiris, praised the teamwork involved. “As our relationship with the client developed the scope of work evolved with it. The team put great emphasis on the quality of work produced and impressed the client with our internal standards and ability to provide efficient workable solutions,” he said.

MANAGE

Throughout the project the client noted the quality of work and Osiris’s ability to manage the project on time and within budget, according to Osiris. The subsequent initial success led to an invitation to extend the company’s role on the Humber Gateway and complete unfinished cable pull-ins through an externally positioned J-tube. In supporting the project, Osiris was able to react quickly utilising its personnel already on-site, who were cross-trained to deliver a wide-range of offshore wind farm services, such as rigging, confined space rescue, confined space entry and cable pull-ins, the firm said.

Aiden West added: “Being able to mobilise on the door step of the Humber offshore renewable industry and utilise our assets on the East Coast had a significant impact on this project. Successful delivery of the Humber Gateway project has considerably raised Osiris’s profile within the region and we’ve developed a great relationship with one of the main industry leaders that should hopefully lead to more work.”

Fugro of the Netherlands has successfully completed one of the largest seabed investigation campaigns in the history of the offshore wind industry in preparation for DONG Energy’s (Denmark) 1.2-gigawatt Hornsea Project One wind farm. 

Located 120 kilometres off the UK’s Yorkshire coast, the wind farm is scheduled to go into operation by 2020 when it will be able to meet the electricity needs of around 800,000 UK homes. 

Søren Egede Johannesen, team lead in DONG Energy’s Site Investigation Project Management, said: “This is the biggest geotechnical campaign we have undertaken and among the largest seabed investigation campaigns the offshore wind industry has seen. Fugro used two of the largest and best equipped geotechnical vessels available – MV Greatship Manisha and MV Bucentaur – to undertake the investigation work.” 

Fugro was awarded the GB£13 million contract in November 2014. As part of the detailed site investigation its dedicated geotechnical vessels completed close to 2800 metres of seabed cone penetration testing and more than 5000 metres of boreholes over a four month period.  

“This campaign is a notable example of the various parties working together to successfully deliver a large scale project during challenging winter months,” said Daniel Deen, Fugro’s senior project manager.