Turning the tide of power
Published on 16th August, 2010
Imagine if you will, a giant underwater turbine sitting on the seabed, slowly but constantly spinning as the tides push back and forth, their gentle but unstoppable force creating enough energy to power 1,000 homes. Got that in your mind? Good.
Here’s one we made earlier.
By we, I mean the Atlantis Resources Corporation, and by giant underwater turbine I mean this, the AK-1000, the worlds largest tidal turbine. Standing 22.5m high and weighing in at 1,300 tonnes, this behemoth will sit on the North Sea bedrock off Orkeny at the European Marine Energy Centre and use the ebb and flow of the tide to generate electricity. Its design has been described as ‘simple and robust’, and it will have to be, as that area is described as a ‘harsh marine environment’, and any repairs will be tricky, having to be done by remote controlled submarine.
If this summer’s test is successful, then it could pave the way for cheaper, more commercial applications and a booming renewable industry for Scotland - £5m has gone into the UK’s renewable energy sector due to this project, with the hope of much more.
While this won’t affect any of you directly, it is an important step for localized renewable power generation. We have to make use of every resource available and as we live on an island with such extreme tides, this makes a huge amount of sense.
