The AK 1000 turbine from Atlantis, will be installed in late summer 2010 at the European Marine Energy Centre in the far north of Scotland, UK, where it will be used to power a computer data centre. Rough and cold seas can cause heavy wear and tear on tidal turbines, but Atlantis says its machines are designed specifically to withstand the rigors of the North Atlantic.

Timothy Cornelius, chief executive of Atlantis, aid: “Today is not just about our technology, it is about the emergence of tidal power as a viable asset class that will require the development of local supply chains employing local people to deliver sustainable energy to the local grid. The AK1000 takes the industry one step closer to commercial scale tidal power projects.”