Renewable Energy from Beneath the Waves

Tidal power as a means of producing renewable energy is, in most ways, similar in nature to wind power. Using various methods, the goal is to take advantage of the immense power that lies in the shifting and flowing of the ocean's tides to create a viable source of renewable energy. While the concept in itself holds great promise, there are few operational power stations throughout the world, and many tidal power research projects seem to have difficulty achieving any results that would allow the development and use of long term tidal power technology. One of the main reasons behind this is the difficulty many have had in creating technology that can stand up to the power of the ocean's tides while in other cases disregard of the environmental impact tidal power plants could have are slowing projects.

Two weeks ago, renewable energy company OpenHydro announced that they would be recalling one of their turbines from operation in Nova Scotia. The announcement came after they lost contact with the unit's acoustic modem, which fed OpenHydro data on its performance, went offline. After capturing video of the unit it was determined that it had suffered damage from the constant strain of operating in the Bay of Fundy, the location of some of the world's most ferocious tidal ranges. Due to this damage, OpenHydro has decided to retrieve the unit and redeploy it next year.

The particular unit that OpenHydro will be retrieving is based on an Open-Center Turbine design. The idea behind the design is to sink the turbines beneath the surface at particular spots and allow them to produce renewable energy at a depth that will not pose any hazard to passing vessels on the surface. Another concern many have when dealing with tidal power is the environmental impact and the Open-Center design aims to remedy that. The Open-Center design was developed to generate electricity at a low speed and to use minimal lubricants to allow the safe and efficient function of the turbine. Since the turbines literally have an open center, OpenHydro says that they provide almost no impact on undersea ecosystems because the turbines are designed to allow sea life to pass through them with no danger of being caught within the system and being wounded or killed.

Currently, there are very few tidal power plants in operation and producing renewable energy around the world. Several more are either under construction or attempting to gain the approval for construction in other spots as tidal power attempts to gain a foothold in the renewable energy sector. So far, the only nations with operational tidal power stations are France, Canada, China, and Russia with several groups in South Korea pushing for the construction of multiple tidal power plants. However, concerns over the environmental impact have been partially responsible for holding up several of the proposed projects.

One particular project, designed for use in Garorim Bay, South Korea, has been stonewalled for several years over protests that the construction of the plant would cause irreversible damage to the critical fishing environment and other ecosystems in the area. The plant, a part of South Korea's renewable energy program, is still in the process of attempting to gain the permission for the constructing, but could gain approval and begin construction as early as next year. Should it ever be completed, the plant would eventually produce twice as much renewable energy as the world's current largest tidal power plant located in France.

Since tidal power as a renewable energy source is still far from being accepted on a large scale, the future of tidal power seems to be in question. While some of the only things holding back tidal power are the difficulties many have had in developing the technology or the possible negative impact the plants could have on the environment, responsible use of tidal power could eventually prove to be a viable renewable energy source in the future. Whether or not the world will ever see wide spread and responsible use of tidal power plants, however, is something we will simply have to wait and watch for in the future.

Photo Credit: Flickr