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.
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