Last week, the largest marine turbine in the world, called the AK-1000, was unveiled in the town of Invergordon, Scotland in the United Kingdom. The turbine, which stands at a whopping 73 feet tall and weighs an astonishing 1300 tons, was developed by Atlantis Resources, a leader in marine energy with offices in London and Singapore. The rotor diameter of the new turbine is also a remarkable 59 feet, making it the largest turbine of its kind. Though so incredibly large, the new turbine is said to be safe for oceanic life, as the blades turn very slowly – at a rate of about eight times per minute. The turbine will conduct marine energy, kinetic energy that is harnessed from waves and tides and transformed into electricity.
AK-1000 Marine Turbine
Energy generated from the enormous marine turbine will be used to power a data center in Scotland, thus removing the data center from the power grid. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, data centers can use up to 100 times more energy than regular office buildings. By removing the data center from the regular grid and using marine energy from the new mega-turbine, a great deal of non-renewable energy will be saved and replaced with sustainable energy to supply the data center.
From Invergordon, the mammoth turbine will be shipped to the European Marine Research Centre in Orkney, Eday for testing. Orkney, Eday and Pentland Firth, both at the northern tip of Scotland, have had plots of land leased out by the Crown Estate for the purpose of becoming a marine energy epicenter. In 2009, the Crown Estate, which is the property portfolio of the UK Crown, received 42 applicants bidding for land at the Pentland Firth Strategic Area. The plan: to create a thriving wave and tidal energy center. The new giant marine turbine is just one aspect of the Crown’s Pentland Firth initiative. Working in tandem with the Scottish and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Crown Estate hopes to have over 1.2 GW of installed capacity in Pentland Firth by 2020.
Renewable, sustainable energy endeavors are always a good thing. The new giant marine turbine in Scotland is not only a working artifact, but also a symbol. It represents the audacity that is required to make renewable and sustainable energy a true priority for the world.
