Renewables - do they have a future?

[BlasterBates]

Huge hurdles for tidal power to overcome, not least having all your turbines and machinery in sea water. I'm not a big a fan of wind, but compared to tidal it wins hands down.

[d000hg]

You might be able to predict it millenia in advance, but it still drops to zero twice a day and rises to a peak twice a day. So reliable in the sense that you know what it's going to do, but not reliable in the sense that you can rely on it alone.

Even if that were the case*, it's far more reliable than "will we get any wind today?" You know exactly how big your 'battery' capacity has to be - enough for a few hours only.

*it's not. The tide is always moving somewhere on the UK coastline since tide times vary by up to (I think) a couple of hours. And if we factor in ocean currents as well as tides, things are even more constant.

I'm sure it's a massive job, but then building ships and oil rigs the size of small towns, and digging coal out of the ground, are also incredibly, bewilderingly massive feats.

[EternalOptimist]

Why not ask the engineers what they think ?
or the people who are willing to risk their own money.


the answer is not only unequivocal, but enthusiastic. a mix of coal, nuclear and gas

with as much despatchable hydro as you can squeeze in

[VectraMan]

*it's not. The tide is always moving somewhere on the UK coastline since tide times vary by up to (I think) a couple of hours. And if we factor in ocean currents as well as tides, things are even more constant.

Except it's only worth doing in a few places where the tidal flow is high, like off The Orkneys:

Scottish Tidal Energy

The crown estate and Scottish government are behind a £4bn project to build a number of tidal power sites around the Orkney islands and the Pentland Firth, expected to generate the same amount of power as a nuclear power station. That's 1.2GW of green energy - enough to power up to 750,000 homes.

There are those lies again!

[BlasterBates]

Hopes Dim for Renewable Power From Ocean Waves and Tides - Businessweek