There is often confusion regarding the different types of tidal power, and indeed between tidal current power and wave power. To summarise:
Sea water is 832 times denser than air and so a 5 knot ocean current has more kinetic energy than a 350 km/h wind. Therefore ocean currents have a very high energy density and a smaller device is required to harness tidal current energy than to harness wind energy.
Tidal current energy takes the kinetic energy available in currents and converts it into electricity. As oceans cover over 70% of Earth’s surface, ocean energy (including wave power, tidal current power and ocean thermal energy conversion) represents a vast source of energy, estimated at between 2,000 and 4,000 TWh per year, enough energy to continuously light between 2 and 4 billion 11W low-energy light bulbs.
Both the U.S. and the U.K., for example, have enough ocean power potential to meet around 15% of their total power needs.
For tidal current energy, there is an estimated 50,000MW or approximately 180TWh per year of economically exploitable resource available worldwide.
For more information on both tidal and wave energy within the UK please click on the RenewableUK website, link below:
MeyGen agrees terms for a funding package to finance Phase 1A of the MeyGen project. The funding syndicate includes: the Department of Energy & Climate Change, Scottish Enterprise via the Renewable Energy Investment Fund (delivered by the Scottish Investment Bank), … Continue reading
We are delighted to announce that the UK headquarters of Atlantis Resources (Scotland) Limited and the MeyGen Project Office officially opened on Monday 14th July. The new office is located at 90A George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DF. Please note … Continue reading
90A George Street
General Telephone: 0131 659 9690
© 2013 MeyGen Limited.
All Rights Reserved.