First tidal power turbine gets plugged in

[cedric]

An underwater turbine that generates electricity from tidal streams was plugged into the UK's national grid today. It marks the first time a commercial-scale underwater turbine has fed power into the network and the start of a new source of renewable energy for the UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/17/waveandtidalpower.renewableenergy

[fascisthunter]

1. Kick

[HCE SuiGeneris]

2. It's far past time we benefited from the natural energy sources available to us.

Recommended.

[Sunnyshine]

3. Kick for cleaner air & Recommend that we in the USA get some of these. n/t

[WheelWalker]

4. k & r n/t

[drm604]

5. K&R

This gives me hope.

[CrispyQ]

6. Fantastic!

There was a time when the US would have been involved in leading edge technology like this, but alas, the oil barons took over & we are quickly becoming a nation of has beens.

k&r

[AntiFascist]

7. Excellent!

Can't they also stick turbines where there are fast ocean currents, not necessarilly tidal?

[mahina]

9. Oceanlinx Maui test turbines will be coming online soon...

I heard the CEO present on the design and it is COOL. I think he said we can generate 1 MW per turbine. http://www.oceanlinx.com/
Here's an article on the Maui project:
http://www.hawaiisenergyfuture.com/Images/Oceanlinx.pdf

[applegrove]

8. Excellent!

[progressoid]

10. One assumes that the environmental impact to the sea and it's denizens has been studied

right? :shrug:

[kristopher]

11. I don't know about this specific model

But others operating on the same principle have been studied and they seem to be safe. Small fry are able to pass directly through without harm as the blades move very slow (different densities of water vs air) relative to a wind turbine. The model I saw had large mesh screen across the front to protect the rotors from ingesting objects that would damage them, this screen also serves to keep out larger fish.

If you want a real wildlife killer, look at the mortality due to the cooling water from some of the coal and nuclear power plants.