Renewable Energy
Fig. 1. Altra Industrial Motion has been involved in engineering a number of offshore energy projects.
Exploiting tidal power
Anthony George has been involved in engineering a number of offshore energy projects and offers some analysis on the real- world viability of these schemes.
Anthony George ha participado en la ingeniería de diversos proyectos de energía marítima y brinda un análisis de la viabilidad de estos sistemas en la práctica real.
Anthony George war an der Konstruktion einiger Offshore-Projekte beteiligt und analysiert die Realisierbarkeit dieser Pläne.
T
he cost of energy generated by tidal power generation is, at this stage of device development, still more expensive than that offered
by offshore and onshore wind, and solar arrays in sunnier climes. However, fossil fuels will not last forever and investment is still going into accessing tidal power, one of the most reliable and predictable of renewable energy sources. One thing is for sure, the cost of energy is going up and as fossil-fuel based resources dwindle, renewables will become ever more important. If renewables are to play a major part in the energy generation map of our medium-term future, then they have to be reliable. If they aren’t, then costs go up and efficiency drops.
Tidal power sources look like a great alternative to the vast costs of nuclear power and the visual impact of large-scale onshore wind and solar projects. Although some players, apparently well advanced with the development prototype devices, have seemingly disappeared, several major engineering companies have recently invested in marine technologies. Kawasaki and Hyundai, for example,
have both invested in their own designs; meanwhile in the UK, Siemens bought Marine Current Turbines in 2012 and Alstom recently purchased Tidal Generation from Rolls-Royce. Policy driven or not, they are certainly investing in the technology. Island nations with strong (and accessible) tidal currents obviously have a vested interest.
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