Simec Atlantis Energy (“Atlantis”) has announced that its MeyGen tidal power array, the ‘world’s largest tidal stream power project’ has been awarded a £1.545 million grant from the Scottish Government.

It says the funding will be used for the development of company’s 80MW subsea hub in the Pentland Firth off Northern Scotland and will allow 40 tidal turbines to be connected to a single power export cable.

The developer suggests the subsea hub is crucial in reducing the costs in power production.

Tim Cornelius, CEO of Atlantis, commented: “The first of its kind globally, the new subsea hub represents a significant milestone in the cost reduction path that tidal power is currently on and also has exciting application in the floating offshore wind market.

“The subsea hub we have designed and developed is a key part of our overall cost reduction strategy for tidal power generation. This hub will also have direct application for other forms of marine energy such as floating offshore wind and wave energy. We are very proud to be taking the lead in realising the full potential of our oceans’ energy, delivering a cleaner energy future.”