 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Venus Publications
Windmill under the seaPosted by venus on Tuesday November 11, 2008 10:13 amThis week, Singapore hosted the International Energy Week where policy makers from all over the world met academics and industry players to talk about energy options and strategies for the future. CHNG CHOON HIONG looks at tidal energy as it is used in the UK while TEH JEN LEE asks whether it could work here.
PICTURE a 37m-tall, 1,000-tonne windmill that is submerged under the
sea and you get a good idea of what the SeaGen Tidal Energy generator
is.
Situated in Strangford Narrows, off the coast of Northen Ireland, the SeaGen is the world's first commercial-scale tidal energy turbine, harnessing the virtually inexhaustible energy carried by tidal currents. Tidal currents are caused by the gravitational interaction between the earth and the moon arising from their relative motion. As such, the tidal cycle is perfectly predictable, an advantage over power generated by wind and sunlight. There are, however, some drawbacks in harnessing tidal power. It has some prerequisites which limit its use to just a few regions in the world. There are also worries such as the possible disruption of marine life and the ecosystem. However, the concerns about damaging the ecosystem are yet to be firmly established. Costing more than £8.5 million ($20 million) in development, the SeaGen is commissioned for operation till 2013. During this time, it will generate 1,200kW of clean renewable power, enough to provide for the electrical needs of 1,000 UK households.
Story abstract from TNP |
