Isra-Mart srl: ETI to model UK's tidal energy impact

www.isramart.com

Could building a tidal barrage across one of the UK's estuaries mean less energy being captured by a tidal turbine further down the coast? The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has today launched a £450,000 project to try and find out.

The Tidal Modelling Project will attempt to build up a picture between now and the end of 2012 on how energy extraction at one marine site may affect the energy available elsewhere.

Along with partners Black & Veatch, HR Wallingford, and the University of Edinburgh, the ETI plans to develop models of the whole UK Continental Shelf to assess the impact of a wide range of technologies at both tidal stream and tidal range sites, which are expected to be increasingly exploited as a source of stable, renewable power.

Typically, tidal stream sites would be earmarked for turbines, while areas with a large tidal range, such as estuaries, may be suitable for barrages. The ETI hopes to pinpoint how the two interact and work out what constraints these interactions could place on the design, development, and location of future systems.

The models will be available to the marine energy industry after the conclusion of the project, which Dr David Clarke, chief executive of the ETI, said would enable the sector to better plan ahead.

"There is potential for more of the UK's tidal resources to be used to generate energy in the future from a combination of tidal stream and tidal range technologies," he said in a statement. "If this is to happen we need a greater understanding of the impact of energy extraction at various potential sites around the UK.

"This project will significantly increase the understanding of the effects of different interacting tidal energy schemes in UK waters giving the marine industry the evidence and knowledge it needs to make future investment decisions."