Is Tidal Power The Answer To Rising Energy Costs?
News that the first ever tidal turbine has been connected to the National Grid has received much praise for those with an interest in forms of renewable energy. The £10 million SeaGen turbine is located off the shores of Northern Ireland and recently created sufficient power to supply 150 homes - although this was by no means at full capacity.
The turbine is expected to move to full production over the next few weeks and there are high hopes that other suitable areas can be pinpointed around the UK. The device works like an under water windmill with the tidal flows of the region (some of the strongest in the world) reaching 8 knots and turning the rotors at between 10 and 15 revolutions per minute. The turbine is active 20 hours a day as it is switched off during changes in the tide where tidal speeds fall as low as 2 knots.
As the price of oil continues to have a serious impact upon economies around the world, news of the new turbine is well timed although fairly insignificant on its own. There are high hopes that the success of this new device will see the recycling of tidal power grow in order to feed the National Grid and reduce energy costs across the UK.
Share this..
Related stories
Travellers urged to study insurance cover
Britons should familiarise themselves with the terms of their travel insurance or risk serious financial consequences, it has been claimed. A new study from MoneyExpert found that 12 per cent of people do not know what travel insurance covers. This could potentially lead them to missing out on claiming or worse may result in them being underinsured in the event of a serious accident. The widesprea...
Read MoreAre US banking reforms purely cosmetic?
John Varley, the chief executive of Barclays bank, today suggested that Pres Obama's plans to reduce risk in the financial sector would not prevent another financial crisis in the future. This comes at a time when yet again the worldwide banking sector is under pressure and under attack from various governments and authorities around the world. Indeed Pres Obama recently suggested a bank levy to i...
Read MoreHave the US government gone too far this time?
President Obama yesterday announced a raft of regulations and legislative changes which will limit the size and trading power of Wall Street financial institutions in the future. The move prompted a sell-off on Wall Street, followed by a sell-off in London which has been followed overnight by a sell-off in the Far East. It seems that investors believe the American government has gone too far this...
Read MoreThomas Cook parent company files for bankruptcy protection
The parent company of UK holiday operation Thomas Cook has today filed for bankruptcy protection in Germany after failing to agree terms with the German government with regards to a financial bailout. The Arcandor Group owns a range of well-known operations in Germany including Thomas Cook, a number of department stores and a mail-order business. The writing has been on the wall for some time with...
Read MoreRichard Branson completes integration of NTL Telewest business
Richard Branson this week confirmed that the NTL Telewest Business subsidiary will now be rebranded under the Virgin Media Business name giving the group more power in the marketplace. This is the last stage of the amalgamation of the Virgin, NTL and Telewest operations which began some years ago and has now finally been completed. So what does this mean for the Virgin Media operation? Richard...
Read More