Tidal Energy: Efficient Turbines and New Projects for a Sustainable Future

  • Tidal energy is a predictable renewable source with great potential.
  • Technological advances have significantly improved the efficiency of turbines.
  • Projects such as MeyGen and Orbital Marine Power O2 are driving this technology forward.

tidal energies for renewables

La Seawater energy It is one of the most promising renewable sources, although less developed compared to others such as solar or wind. It is based on the use of tides, the movement of water generated by the gravitational attraction exerted by both the Moon and the Sun on the Earth. Although this energy has immense potential, the cost and technological difficulties have slowed its development globally.

Thanks to a project funded by the European Union as FLOTEC (Floating Tidal Energy Commercialisation), significant progress is being made. This project has succeeded in producing a turbine that is not only efficient, but is approaching performance levels similar to offshore wind turbines. The project has served as an example of the path that developments in this sector must follow in order to make tidal energy a viable and competitive option in the near future.

Development of an efficient turbine

improved turbines for tidal power

The FLOTEC project has manufactured a turbine that has marked a milestone in the history of tidal energy, managing to generate more than 18 MWh over a period of 24 uninterrupted hours. This level of efficiency is remarkably close to the performance of offshore wind turbines, which opens a window of opportunity for the commercialization of tidal energy.

This achievement is significant, as, until recently, tidal energy had not evolved as much as other renewable energies. The advantage of tidal turbines is that they take advantage of the greater density of water compared to air, allowing more kinetic energy to be captured with each rotation of the blades.

One of the key improvements that has allowed the efficiency of the turbine developed by FLOTEC to increase has been the increase in the rotor diameter, from 16 to 20 metres. This change has increased energy production by 50%, a crucial leap forward in making this technology an energy-efficient option.

Advantages and challenges of tidal energy

The main benefit of tidal energy is its predictabilityUnlike other renewable sources such as solar or wind, tidal energy has the advantage that tides are predictable events, allowing for efficient planning of electricity production.

However, the challenges to its full development are considerable. The marine environment is a complicated environment, as it requires robust engineering capable of withstand extreme conditions, such as saltwater corrosion, biofouling effects (accumulation of organisms on surfaces) and cavitation erosion. In addition, the construction of subsea infrastructure represents high costs for both installation and maintenance.

Another relevant challenge is the environmental impact. Turbines must be designed so that they do not negatively interfere with marine fauna, such as mammals or fish. In this regard, the FLOTEC project has made significant progress by integrating technologies that minimize these impacts, which is essential to obtain regulatory approvals and minimize social objections.

Tidal energy projects around the world

new discovery tidal energy efficient turbine

One of the largest projects in terms of scale is the MeyGen tidal energy system in Scotland, which represents the largest operational multiple turbine array worldwide. This 6 MW system has exported almost 25 GWh of electricity to the National Grid since its Phase 1A installation, covering the average annual consumption of around 3.800 British homes.

In terms of innovation, the ELEMENT project has also made important contributions, developing a intelligent control system that optimizes turbine performance by better anticipating and managing mechanical loads that affect their operation. This type of technology could increase the lifespan of turbines and reduce energy costs by more than 17% over their entire life cycle.

Future initiatives and developments

Another notable advance is the Orbital Marine Power O₂ turbine, which is considered the most powerful in the world with a production capacity of 2 MWThis technology is already operational in the Orkney Islands, United Kingdom, and has the capacity to supply 2.000 homes annually, in addition to contributing to the production of green hydrogen through electrolysis.

The D2T2 project, funded by the European Union, has also made progress in reducing operating costs by remove gearboxes in the turbines and use a direct drive system, which allows electricity to be generated with low-speed currents. This technological advance has allowed tidal energy production costs to be reduced by 30%. Similar projects, such as NEMMO, are improving blade materials to resist erosion and the effects of biofouling in complex marine environments.

Tidal energy, although still in its early stages compared to other sources, is a technology that has the potential to become one of the main renewable energy sources of the future. Current research efforts and advances in efficiency are paving the way to a cleaner and more sustainable future, in which renewables play an increasingly predominant role. Thanks to its predictability, tidal energy offers significant advantages over other renewables and with adequate infrastructure and greater investments, it could go from being a promise to a tangible reality.


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      Manuel Garcia (@ TURBOMOTOR2000) said

    There is enough clean energy to more than cover the needs of "man", what we lack is the "machine", which is capable of collecting and concentrating it efficiently and profitably.