Which countries use the energy of tides?

Hydropower plants and tidal power plants are quite promising energy facilities at the moment. In this material, the energy of tides and tides will be considered: the pros and cons of tidal power plants, the principle of operation, the operating PES and the objects planned for erection.

Alternative Energy Sources: An Overview

Today, not only ecologists and scientists, but also businessmen, engineers and investors, are the most promising sources of energy. Alternative energy sources (ebbs and tides, sun, wind) are of interest due to the profitability and relatively low threat to environmental safety. In 2010, non-traditional sources of energy provided about 5% of the total consumed by mankind. Almost 2% (of the global value) was produced by tidal power plants.

How do tidal power plants work?

The energy of the ebb and flow is of primary interest to mankind in its inexhaustibility. The first attempts to use it for good have been made since the tenth century, when they began to create small dams with water reservoirs, and later grain mills. Similar prototypes of modern tidal power plants are still used in the national economy.

With the discovery of electricity, the mechanical "power stations" were replaced by the more familiar to the modern man. Today, the energy of the sea tides turns the blades of huge turbines, transforming into electrical energy. Thus, the same principle is used as several centuries ago, only slightly modified to modern conditions and increased needs.

Problems of energy use of tides

The construction of tidal power plants is a very costly exercise. In addition, from the financial point of view, it is profitable to build large PES, which is completely inappropriate for remote or sparsely populated regions. Other problems include the following:

• Fluctuations in the power of the tidal power station, which is associated with a change in the height of the tides (and the energy of tides changes) every two weeks;

• The mismatch of the usual period of sunny days with the time of occurrence of tides;

• The shift between the optimal time of energy generation and consumption;

• In some cases, additional sources of energy are needed in the vicinity of the tidal power plant.

There is also an opinion that the active exploitation of tidal power plants will lead to environmental problems, previously unknown to mankind - the inhibition of the Earth's rotation. The latter is not confirmed by authoritative sources in the scientific community. The work of a large number of PES will increase the duration of the day by an amount that is nine times less than the energy of the tides (natural tidal braking).

Advantages of building tidal power plants

Against the backdrop of catastrophes and accidents that happen on nuclear power plants rarely, but leave a memory for themselves for a long time, alternative energy sources look like a safe alternative. And although there are enough difficulties in the construction of tidal power plants, there are also many advantages:

1. Ecological compatibility. In the case of PES, the probability of man-made catastrophe with the subsequent infection of vast areas is reduced to almost zero. There are no harmful emissions into the atmosphere from fuel combustion.

2. Reliability. Tidal power plants work stably both in the standard mode and at peak loads.

3. Low cost of energy. Compared with other types of power plants, PES has a low cost of energy, which is confirmed by real results of operation.

4. High efficiency. The efficiency of conversion of natural energy into usable energy reaches 80%, whereas wind power plants produce up to 30% efficiency, and solar energy - an average of 5-15%, but in some cases it was possible to fix and 35% efficiency.

La Rance: the first tidal power station

The reporting point for the spread of tidal power stations was in 1967, when La Rance was commissioned, the first TEC located in France, in the historic area of Brittany. The use of tidal energy was due to significant tides reaching thirteen and a half meters at an ordinary height of eight meters.

Power PES "La Rance" - 240 MW, and the cost of one unit of energy (kWh) and a half times lower than the usual for power plants in France. The power plant dam performs not only functions to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the power facility, but also is a bridge along which the road connecting the cities of Dinard and St. Malo runs. In addition, La Rance is a popular tourist attraction that attracts up to two hundred thousand travelers to France.

PES in South Korea: the most powerful power plant

Sikhvinskaya PES is another outstanding alternative energy facility that is located on the northwest coast in South Korea in an artificial bay. The power plant was put into operation in 2011 and quickly pushed the first PES in the world to the second position in terms of capacity.

The construction of the power plant itself was preceded by the need to create a fresh water reservoir. Later, water quality began to deteriorate, and in 1997 (after confirming the guesswork and developing solutions by the Marine Research Institute), it was decided to make a hole in the dam. This made it possible to use the energy of tides. The construction of the PES was started in 2003, and the launch was planned in 2009. Due to delays in the construction work, the power plant was launched in 2011.

Tidal power plants in other countries of the world

Countries that use tidal energy are not limited to progressive France and technological South Korea. Tidal power plants are operated in:

• Great Britain;

• Norway;

• Canada;

• China;

• India;

• The United States of America.

Some other states plan to build such structures.

Tidal power plants in Russia

In Russia, the energy of tides has been used since 1968 as part of the operation of the experimental PES on the Kisla Guba in the Barents Sea (pictured). In the times of the USSR, the construction of three more tidal power plants was developed (one in the White Sea and two in the Sea of Okhotsk). The current status of both facilities is not known, whereas the Mezenskaya TPP projected in the Arkhangelsk region has a chance to become the most powerful tidal power plant in the world. Also at the design stage is the Northern PES on the Kola Peninsula.

Plans for further use

The energy of tides and tides is recognized by the world community as a promising source, so that several PES projects are being actively developed in different countries of the world. So, in the near future it is planned to build tidal power stations in South Korea, Scotland, Indian state of Gujarat, New York and Swansea in the UK. Rational use of such a resource will significantly reduce the share of energy received by the traditional way, towards a more environmentally friendly, reliable and safe solution.