Tidal Power
Engineering Design for Sustainability
TIDAL WAVE ENERGY
Introduction
Tidal power is a form of energy which derives directly from the relative motions of the Earth/Moon system, and to a lesser extent from the Earth/Sol system.
Tidal energy is gained from the exchange of large bodies of water. Changes in water levels, and associated tidal currents, are due to the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. This makes Tidal Power completely predictable; furthermore, because it is created by relative motion of the special bodies, it is in-exhaustible.
Therefore Tidal power is much more reliable than other renewable sources such as wind or solar power and will long outlast fossil fuels.
Tidal Power in the UK
It is estimated that tidal power could generate around 20% of Britain's requirements by 2020.
There are great practical challenges associated with this form of hydropower and only around twenty sites in the world have been identified as being ideal locations for tidal power stations.
Eight sites are to be found in Britain, potentially making the UK a key player in the World Green Energy market. The Severn, Dee, Solway and Humber estuaries are all potential sites for tidal energy generation in the UK.
Political view
In common with wind resources, the UK has some of the best wave and tidal resources in Europe, with the potential to provide a considerable proportion of the UK renewable power market in future decades. There is a range of estimates which show that between 15% and 20% of current UK electricity demand could eventually be met by wave and tidal energy. Tidal power is highly predictable compared with some other forms of renewable energy and this has important implications for managing an uninterrupted energy supply that makes use of several different power generation technologies.
One of the Government’s key long-term goals for energy policy is to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The Climate Change Act (2008) has introduced a legally binding target
TIDAL WAVE ENERGY
Introduction
Tidal power is a form of energy which derives directly from the relative motions of the Earth/Moon system, and to a lesser extent from the Earth/Sol system.
Tidal energy is gained from the exchange of large bodies of water. Changes in water levels, and associated tidal currents, are due to the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. This makes Tidal Power completely predictable; furthermore, because it is created by relative motion of the special bodies, it is in-exhaustible.
Therefore Tidal power is much more reliable than other renewable sources such as wind or solar power and will long outlast fossil fuels.
Tidal Power in the UK
It is estimated that tidal power could generate around 20% of Britain's requirements by 2020.
There are great practical challenges associated with this form of hydropower and only around twenty sites in the world have been identified as being ideal locations for tidal power stations.
Eight sites are to be found in Britain, potentially making the UK a key player in the World Green Energy market. The Severn, Dee, Solway and Humber estuaries are all potential sites for tidal energy generation in the UK.
Political view
In common with wind resources, the UK has some of the best wave and tidal resources in Europe, with the potential to provide a considerable proportion of the UK renewable power market in future decades. There is a range of estimates which show that between 15% and 20% of current UK electricity demand could eventually be met by wave and tidal energy. Tidal power is highly predictable compared with some other forms of renewable energy and this has important implications for managing an uninterrupted energy supply that makes use of several different power generation technologies.
One of the Government’s key long-term goals for energy policy is to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The Climate Change Act (2008) has introduced a legally binding target
References: Foresight, (1999). “Energies from the Sea – Towards 2020”, a Marine Foresight Panel Report, April 1999. Kihoh, S, et al, (1985). “Electric Power Generation from Tidal Currents at Kurushima Straits”, Proceedings of an International Symposium on Ocean Space Thorpe, T W, (1992). “A Review of Wave Energy”, Vols. 1 and 2, a report for the DTI, ETSU Report Number R-72, December 1992. WEC, (1993). “Renewable energy resources: opportunities and constraints 1990- 2020”, World Energy Council, London, June 1993. Teamwork, (2001). Teamwork Technology/AWS web site http://www.waveswing.com