Apprentice
Edit
 Alternative Energy System Could Power 200,000 Homes Lunar Energy, a British tidal power company, and Korean Midland Power Company have joined forces to develop the world’s largest tidal power project in the Wando Hoenggan waterway. Each of the huge 1 MW turbines that will be used for that project will be 15 meters in diameter and over 19 meters long. Due to their size, the turbines will be placed in deep water to avoid endangering ships. Expected to be fully operational by 2015, the project would provide enough energy to power 200,000 homes. This new power scheme is also expected to have less environmental impact that traditional tidal power installations, known as “tidal barrages”, which, according to the Telegraph, “take away mudflats important to birds and impede the passage of migratory fish such as salmon, shad and eels.” Lunar Energy is also exploring the feasibility of installing similar systems in the UK.  William Law, chairman of Lunar Energy, said that there was the potential around the British coast for tidal stream turbines to generate up to 20 per cent of Britain's energy needs.
This compares with the proposed £15 billion Severn estuary barrage – which it is estimated could produce five per cent of Britain's electricity after a 15-year construction period.
Mr Law added: "The ideal place is the Pentland Firth in Scotland where there is a huge resource of at least 10,000 megawatts – equivalent three large coal-fired power stations or enough to power a million homes – in deep water.
"There is also a lot of potential in the Irish Channel, the George Channel, off the Isle of Wight and off the Channel Islands."
(telegraph)References: telegraph 1 Comment: on Mega Tidal Power Project |
 |
|
 |
Urban Retrospectives
