Off the coast of Northern Ireland, a power station has been launched that receives energy from sea currents.

This power station can not be called "tidal", because it receives energy from sea currents, and not the fastest (from 1 m / s). The power plant consists of a group of units, each of which is something like a kite, just hovering in the water. The unit is positioned in such a way as to optimally use the energy of the flow.

Each unit is equipped with "wings" with a total span of three meters, and a turbine that is driven by water. By the way, the cable on which the unit “hangs” is a complex one, consisting of fastening, communication cable and power cable.
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All this is controlled by the operator, who monitors the work of each unit, and directs them so that the overall work efficiency is maximized. The author of the project is the company Minesto. By the way, for now this is a pilot project.

Subject to successful testing of the entire power plant, full-sized units with a “wingspan” of 8-14 meters will be put into operation. The power of a unit with a “span” of 8 meters will be 120 kW, with a flow rate of 1.3 meters per second. The 14-meter version will produce 850 kW already, with a flow velocity of 1.7 m / s.

The developers claim that their technology is quite competitive (including price) with other energy technologies, not only “green”, but also traditional ones.



Via spectrum