Underwater Turbines Set To Generate Record Power

Here's a preview of the future. Twin underwater turbines are set to generate 1.2 megawatts of electricity off the coast of Northern Ireland by year's end. New Scientist reports how the world's largest tidal power project will use underwater turbines that look and work like wind power turbines, with blades up to 60 feet wide. Tidal currents will rotate the rotors at 10 to 20 revolutions per minute — a speed that Marine Current Turbines of the UK claims is too slow to affect marine life. The turbines will drive a gearbox that will drive an electric generator. The resulting electricity will be transmitted to the shore via an underwater cable. Eventually, MCT intends to build farms of turbines consisting of 10 to 20 pairs each. . . This is intriguing, probably necessary, and will doubtless lead to some kind of negative environmental issue(s). Let's hope the Brits monitor the impacts of what sounds like a promising, hopefully sustainable, technology &mdash one desperately needed on our tough road to a new energy economy. JULIA WHITTY

Comments

We've got tidal turbines here in NYC too. Perhaps our water isn't deep enough for turbines of that size. But, we've got a large array of them planned. I believe 6 are already in place. The initial study with just 2 turbines went well and the project is continuing. I believe the hope is for 10MW total.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18567/

Posted by: Misanthropic Scott on 08/22/07 at 11:53 AM Respond

I always thought tidal energy needed to be tapped. It is constant 24/7, regular as waves on the beach, very substantial in quantity and free. I hope the collective genius of our scientists and engineers can address the environmental and maintenance issues at the front end and perfect the technology sooner rather than later. Who knows? We might even convince Congress that this is the wave of the future, so to speak, and divert some oil subsidies and other misspent money to develop this technology for the good of all.

Posted by: frank on 08/22/07 at 2:29 PM Respond

thanks, Misanthrope. here's a link to a (dry yet informative) New York Times video on the NYC turbines, for those interested:

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=f6cffc1f901deba558100815692cc497f9b18f84

Posted by: julia whitty on 08/22/07 at 4:41 PM Respond

Since it will be impossible to drag fishing nets across the bottom of the sea in the area of these turbines, they will create a sanctuary for marine life - and probably benefit, rather than harm, the marine environment

Posted by: Spence - "greenknight" on 08/23/07 at 2:42 AM Respond

And just how soon will the Texass/US oil companies steal that technology and subvert it and turn it to their advantage. Are they going to buy up all the US coastline. Maybe that is why they/ the Bush crime family will never rebuild NOLA.

All thanks to Bushco and the Republicans and their right wing religious enablers all of whom care for nothing but themselves.

Posted by: bobr900 on 08/23/07 at 12:24 PM Respond

The NY Times video link that Julia provided was temporary. Here is the permanent one:

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=FRsupt210033

Posted by: Peter on 08/26/07 at 6:35 PM Respond

thanks for the corrected link, Peter. and for a more experiential vision of how much tidal power might have to offer, check out this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YiHP8EG_Wq4

Posted by: julia whitty on 08/28/07 at 9:18 PM Respond

If you visit the Bay of Fundy, somewhere along the way, possibly right on the Maine Border on Campobello Island, if I remember correctly, there is a display about the plans to harness the tides of Fundy for electricity. The plans date from the 50s, I believe. Of course, no one actually implemented the plans, but they've been there for years. I think at that time, they were planning to hold the water back and use similar technology to hydro plants at dams. I like the turbine solution better personally.

Posted by: Misanthropic Scott on 08/29/07 at 9:32 AM Respond