Tidal Power : Green

HEADRAT · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:25

Hi,

So the Russians are going ahead with a 10GW tidal power station, to me tidal power seems like a great source of power for an island nation such as ours, the tide will always go in/out.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6968

OK the capital costs would be very high but once you've built the thing it free power apart from maintenance costs and no harmful leftovers such as radioactive waste.

Solar/wind power are OK but there is a huge amount of energy to be tapped by tidal power.

HEADRAT

Whitestar · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:27

I have always wondered why we don't use tidal power.

quote:
Canada's Bay of Fundy holds the record for greatest tidal variance (55 feet), but plans to build a large tidal station there have been stymied by objections from environmentalists, fearing it would harm sea mammals and increase shoreline erosion.

It funny how environmentalists are probably doing more than any other group to keep us dependant on fossil fuels. Their opposition to nuclear power as a means of replacing coal-fired power plants is nothing short of ludicrous.

How true is that lol

Visage · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:31

Wasnt there a big plan for a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary from Weston to Cardiff

Mr Mag00 · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:32

because as yet we have yet to develop something which doesnt get smashed to bits by the sea. There is currently a large area off the cornish coast set aside with connection to the mainland for developers to set up and test designs.

linky

Visage · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:32

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,,2042428,00.html

Mr Mag00 · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:35

yes, even hitler planned a huge wave energy device in the estuary. The modern plan was binned for a number of reasons one of which is all the pollution sat at the bottom of the estuary from the haevy industry upstream.

Whitestar · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:38

30Mw is that it!

Surely wave 10k off shore can produce more energy than that.

And at £9m per turbine that only produces 1Mw of energy, it would be cheaper to but some Russian turbines.

KaHn · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:46

The idea of renewable energy sources in the UK is quite funny, We are very small in comparison to Russia, Brazil and the US in terms of renewable sites, so the gains we would get from the "suitable" renewable sites in the UK is not economical, which is a bit of a cop I know.

The other part is that a lot of people endorse renewable sources aslong as they are not on their own door step so you will find a lot of resistance for the severn tidal programme due to the beaches there will be ruined as the tidal rise will be affected iirc.

KaHn

HEADRAT · 19 Apr 2007 at 10:52

KaHn said:
due to the beaches there will be ruined as the tidal rise will be affected iirc.

KaHn

I don't really understand how the beaches would be ruined, the water will still go in/out, maybe just a bit slower!

HEADRAT

Slinwagh · 19 Apr 2007 at 11:16

KaHn said:
The other part is that a lot of people endorse renewable sources aslong as they are not on their own door step so you will find a lot of resistance for the severn tidal programme due to the beaches there will be ruined as the tidal rise will be affected iirc.

KaHn

How much of that is based on enviromental concern against the value of house prices?