Ampeak Energy

The company was originally founded as Atlantis Energy Limited in Brisbane, Australia. In 2005, the company established a base in Singapore, where the company remains registered, however the head office was moved to Edinburgh in 2014. The company acquired the MeyGen project in November 2013, In February 2014, Atlantis became the world's first tidal energy company to float on the London Stock Exchange's AIM sub-market and commenced construction on MeyGen. On 20 February 2017, the company announced that it had completed the phase 1a of the Meygen project. This phase included the design, manufacture and deployment of four 1.5 MW turbines. The project received £1.5 million Scottish Government grant in 2020. A number of strategic investments and acquisitions occurred in late 2015 and throughout 2016. Atlantis acquired the tidal turbine developer Marine Current Turbines from Siemens, including the SeaGen turbine in Strangford Lough, and a portfolio of six project sites. SAE also acquired two other projects from ScottishPower Renewables, the 100 MW Ness of Duncansby site in the Pentland Firth to the east of the MeyGen project, and a 10 MW project in the Sound of Islay. In 2017, GFG Alliance acquired 49.99% stake in the company in return of the coal-fired Uskmouth power station, which was to be converted to a 220 MW waste-to-energy plant. In 2019, SAE acquired the Scottish hydro developer Green Highland Renewables. The 500 kW AR500 turbine was built at the Nigg Energy Park, and shipped to Japan for installation. The turbine was reported to have produced 10 MWh of energy in the first days of operation in early February 2021. The turbine was decommissioned in December 2023, and will be upgraded in Japan for redeployment in 2025. Also in 2020, SAE announced plans to develop a 160 MW Wyre tidal barrage on the River Wyre. This would be in conjunction with Natural Energy Wyre Limited, who started developing the project in 2015. It is proposed the barrage would span the river between Fleetwood and Knott End, and would generate 90 MW of electricity. In October 2022, there was a management buyout of the Advanced Tidal Engineering and Services (ATES) division, along with the associated IP and staff, forming a new company called Proteus Marine Renewables. SAE remains a minority shareholder in the new company, with a 21% stake. Proteus Marine will continue to supply turbines to SAE, for MeyGen and other projects. SAE developed proposals for a 300 MW battery energy storage system in the north of Scotland, to be located approximately from the Castle of Mey, which was bought and restored by the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The scheme was opposed by councillors from Highland, citing impact on the Castle of Mey and local tourism including the North Coast 500 route. On 21 August 2025, the company name was changed from SIMEC Atlantis Energy Limited to Ampeak Energy Limited. In partnership with EDF Energy, Ampeak Energy is developing the AW1 Battery Energy Storage System at Uskmouth power station. Originally rated at 120 MW/240 MWh, it is being expanded to 480 MWh capacity in 2025. == Operations ==

Ampeak has commercial and project development teams based in Edinburgh. Through its subsidiaries, the company is developing the 6 MW Meygen tidal turbine array in Pentland Firth, Scotland. In the cooperation with the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and the China Three Gorges Corporation, it helped to design the 500-kilowatt tidal-stream turbine which was installed between Putuoshan and Huludao islands in the Zhoushan archipelago, China. It had an operations base located at Nigg Energy Park in Invergordon and the turbine and engineering services division was located in Bristol. In Japan, it supplied the 500-kilowatt tidal-stream turbine which was between Hisaka and Naru. All of these were transferred to Proteus Marine in October 2022. == Tidal turbine development ==

Atlantis developed and tested various different turbines, initially as Atlantis Energy, then Atlantis Resources, and later as SIMEC Atlantis. In 2022, Proteus Marine Renewables was formed from a management buyout of the Advanced Tidal Engineering and Services division of SIMEC Atlantis, and continues the turbine development. Atlantis Energy In 2002, Atlantis Energy tested a 100 kW tidal power device called the "Aquanator" in the straight between San Remo, Victoria and Phillip Island. It was connected to the grid in September 2006. Previously, a 5 kW version had been tested in the Clarence River. Atlantis Resources Atlantis Resources tested two "Nereus" turbines at San Remo, the 150 kW AN-150 and the 400 kW AN-400. In May 2008, the Aquanator was replaced by the AN-150. In July 2008, the AN-400 (or Nereus II) turbine was tow-tested in an open ocean environment, reportedly with record power output and improved water-to-wire efficiency. Atlantis also developed the "Solon" AS series, which was a ducted horizontal-axis axial turbine. In 2008, a 160 kW version was tested in Corio Bay. In August 2010, the AK-1000 was unveiled at the companies facilities in Invergordon, described at the time as the largest tidal turbine of its type, rated at 1 MW. Unconventionally, this turbine had two rotors mounted either end of a common shaft, designed to harness the ebb and flood tides. Each rotor was diameter with three blades. The turbine was mounted on a gravity base foundation that weighed 1,300 tonnes and was high. By October 2010, the turbine had been installed at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, but developed a blade fault before it could be tested. Singapore based Tempco Manufacturing took responsibility for the fault. The following year, the 1 MW AR1000 was tested at EMEC. It was connected to the electricity grid in May 2011, and produced first power in July. The turbine had a single three-bladed rotor, in diameter, and reached its rated power of 1 MW in a current of . It was expected to undergo two years of testing, SIMEC Atlantis In January 2021, SIMEC Atlantis deployed a 0.5 MW AR500 tidal turbine in the Naru Strait in the Gotō island chain in southern Japan. The planned six-month test was extended to 11 months, with the turbine eventually being decommissioned in November. The turbine was designed and manufactured at the Nigg Energy Park in Scotland, before being disassembled and shipped to Japan prior to installation. Also in 2021, SIMEC Atlantis announced they were ready to start construction of a 2 MW AR2000 turbine. This would include a novel variable pitch system developed in a European Union funded project. Two of these turbines were expected to be installed at the MeyGen project, but this did not happen. ==See also==