Tidal Energy Project

Project Overview (Description)

What is Tidal Energy / Power?
A form of hydropower, converts energy from rising and falling tides in water
Special generators convert the energy into electricity
Potentially more predictable than electricity generation from wind and the sun

How does it work?

Three different approaches
i. Tidal stream generators
ii. Barrages
iii. Tidal lagoons

http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/tidal-energy/

Project Overview (Description) Continued...

Why does it work?
Water is much more dense than air

The energy input/m3 on the turbines is greater

=
Higher production of electricity per m 3 of fluid

Tides are predictable and stable, unlike wind

Offer a steady, reliable and renewable source of energy...
...where sufficient tidal movements are available

Current Situation
Currently This way of producing energy is still in its infancy (Nat.Geo)
Few commercial (big scale) tidal power plants operating in the world
Limited suitable locations available
Concerns about legal issues regarding (underwater) land ownership and environmental
impacts
Insufficient efforts in marketing the technology and communicating the profitability to
investors - high skepticism

However
There are several companies that have been trying to improve the technology and the tidal
generators. (Pelamis Wave Power, Verdant Power, UEK Corporation, Aquamarine Power)
Efforts to increase energy production, decrease environmental impacts, and clarify and

Pros/Cons and competitiveness?

Pros:
-

Renewable; by using the earths gravitational field and rotation resulting in tides that can generate
power

Energy can be generated both day and night; predictable with daily, bi-weekly, biannual/ annual
cycles over a longer time span

Ocean waves can travel great distances without a significant loss of energy

Cons:
-

Siting: Suitable sites for tidal power plants must meet specific requirements (ie. sites must have a
tidal range of at least 7 m)
-

Tidal power plants needs to be constructed close to land

Unknown environmental impacts

- Certain types of tidal energy i.e. tidal barrages rely on the manipulation of ocean levels

Pros/Cons and competitiveness? (Cont.)

Economical Competitiveness?
- Worldwide, the tidal resources are considerable and the technically harvestable part of this
resource, in areas close to the coast, estimated at 1 Terrawatt (TW) = current installed capacity of
all hydropower dams in the world.
-

The demand for (renewable) energy increases tecnological research and advancement for tidal
energy production
-

Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) tidal energy has the potential to compete with other low carbon
sources
-

Further development of turbine efficiency, tecnology, and infrastructure

Coal and petroleum based fuel are still cheaper and more widespread

Investment Analysis
Example: Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project

Parameters

Investment

40,000,000

No. of turbines

10

Capacity per
turbine

1 MW

Rate of
function

30%

Average price
of electricity
per kWh

12.67p

https://islayenergytrust.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sound-of-islay-faq-november-2010.pdf
https://www.ukpower.co.uk

IRR Analysis

Energy produced yearly= 333 kWh*10*23*365

Income=Energy produced yearly*average price of electricity per kWh
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/aug/25/scottish-power-islay-tidal
http://www.power-technology.com/projects/sound-of-islay/

IRR Analysis

Calculation of environmental impact reductions

P(t) = Power in Watts

= Density of the water (1030kg/m)
A = Total swept area of rotor blades
(t) = Velocity of the fluid
C = Turbine power coefficient

http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/44260/2/403.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_stream_generator
http://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Betz_limit

Calculation of environmental impact reductions - Cont

-

Energy produced yearly = 0.333 mWh*10*24h*365d = 29170.8 mWh/year 30

gWh/year

1gWh alternative energy 430 ton CO2 reduction

1 ton of CO2 = 6.4$ (4th november 2016)

30 gWh*430ton8CO2) * 6.4$ = 82560$/year

Environmental and social negative impacts

Few studies have yet been done that fully analyze the impact of tidal power on the environmental especially on
the local marine life.

The environmental and social negative impacts of tidal energy are mainly caused by the Tidal turbines and Tidal
barrage.

TIDAL BARRAGE
Installing a barrage may change the shoreline within the bay or estuary, affecting a large ecosystem that depends on
tidal flats.
Reduced salinity in the basin due to low quantities of ocean water (which may result in the death of fish and other
mammals that survive in salinity waters
Hampers fish migration (unable to access breeding streams)

Continuation...
TIDAL TURBINES
Turbines blades may strike or injure and entangle marine organism
Acoustic output (Depending on the frequency and amplitude of sound generated by the tidal energy devices, this acoustic
output can have varying effects on marine mammals (particularly those who echolocate to communicate and navigate in
the marine environment, such as dolphins and whales
Displacement of marine animals (some fish may no longer utilize the area if threatened with a constant rotating or noisemaking object
Mechanical fluids, such as lubricants, can leak out, which may be harmful to the marine life nearby

Barriers for technology diffusion, technology transfer,

or technology innovation

1 Ecology Destroying
2 Intermittence
3 Seawater Corrosion

Ecology Destroying
isolation of fish school

Intermittence
property of tidal
-Tidal

seawater corrosion