One of the yard’s cranes, Goliath, will lower the 520-tonne structure into Belfast Lough on Wednesday.
Each of the its twin rotor arms produces 1 megawatt of energy – enough to power thousands of homes when connected to the electricity grid.
After trials in the lough, the turbine will be used off the Orkney Islands.
The 75-metre long structure has taken a year to put together.
It will float on the water with the rotors dropped below the surface.
Harland and Wolff will set the massive tidal turbine into the water on Wednesday
The yard’s owner, Fred Olson, is also involved in the company behind the turbine, Scotrenewables Tidal Power.
Its chief executive, Andrew Scott, said: “Iconic places like Harland and Wolff do need to see new business.
“Perhaps this will make it continue to be great going into the future.”
In March, the yard announced 60 jobs were set to go – about one third of its permanent workforce.
In its heyday as a shipbuilder it employed 35,000.
An Irish company, DP Energy, has plans for a major tidal power project one kilometre off Fair Head in north Antrim.
