“Off the northernmost tip of Scotland, where the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean meet those of the North Sea, sits a chain of 70 mostly uninhabited islands collectively known as Orkney. Best known for its wildlife and Neolithic historical sites, it isn't the first place you think of as a centre for cutting-edge science. Yet it is at the heart of what could soon be a renewable energy renaissance.
The strong tides around these islands have led the European Union-funded European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to use Orkneys' waters as the world's largest testbed for a renewable energy source that has been stalled for years: tidal power.
If new turbine designs being tested here can survive the pitiless Scottish swells, they will finally tame one of the world's most promising sources of renewable energy. But that's not all. Some of these designs could go far beyond tapping tides along the coast, reaping energy from the most powerful phenomena in the oceans - the world's major ocean currents. Harness these powerhouses, and tidal power would help smash all previous predictions of how much energy the oceans can provide.”
New Scientist (subscription required)
The article discusses various turbine and other designs including SeaGen in photo.
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