When the tide subsides, the water is allowed to drain out through an opening consisting of turbines. Its functionality is similar to tidal barrage since when the tide goes up, the lagoon completely fills up. A tidal lagoon is a power station separated from the rest of the ocean or sea. It’s just that it doesn’t involve a lot of initial capital outlay, and it’s friendly to the environment. This technology has a lot in common with tidal barrages. Construction of tidal barrages involves high upfront capital costs, plus they have devastating effects on the local environment. When the tides start to move out, the gates in the dam that consist of turbines open up, and water begins to flow out, hitting the turbines, which eventually turn to produce energy. When the tides subside, the system’s gates close, trapping the water in the estuary or basin. For the barrage to be able to produce power, the tidal range, which is the difference between low and high tide, has to be more than 5 meters.Īs the tide enters the system, ocean or seawater flows via the dam into the basin. The difference is they are a lot bigger since they are constructed across a Bay or an Estuary. They resemble dams used in hydropower plants. Tidal Barrages are the most efficient tidal energy technologies. However, it remains a cheaper alternative and doesn’t cause environmental degradation compared to other tidal technologies. The initial cost of setting up this tidal stream system is quite on the higher side, not to mention the difficulty in maintenance. The turning shaft activates a generator, which generates electricity.

So, when the turbine turns, the shaft also turns.

The turbine is connected to a generator through a shaft. Ideally, the water currents turn the turbine. So, the best way to compare tidal turbines is underwater windmills. The only difference is that the blades of tidal turbines are way stronger and shorter. Tidal turbines utilize the same technology as wind turbines. Tidal energy is converted into electricity using three main tidal technologies: 1. How Tidal Energy is Converted into Electricity? It suffers from huge investments and limits the availability of sites where it can be captured. Though it available in plenty but harnessing energy from it is not that easy. Tidal power has great potential for the future as tides can be much more accurately predicted than wind or sun and due to the massive size of oceans. To generate electricity, the disparity in water levels must be at least 5 meters. Coastlines are preferred because they receive 2 high tides and 2 low tides every single day. Tidal energy generation plants are most commonly installed along coastlines, although offshore plants are increasingly becoming popular. Tidal energy is considered a renewable energy resource because the oceans and seas will remain until the end of time, and tides are highly predictable. The high and low tides create tidal currents, which are essential in the generation of this kind of energy, mostly prevalent in coastal areas. The moon’s gravitational force is so strong that it tugs the ocean into a bulge. However, tides are influenced most by the moon. Tides are caused by the combined gravitational forces of the moon, sun, and earth. The kinetic energy from the natural rise and fall of tides is harnessed and converted into electricity.

Tidal energy or tidal power is a form of renewable energy obtained due to alternating sea levels. One energy resource that ranks among the top renewable and sustainable sources is tidal energy. Though most economies have invested in fossil fuels, renewable and sustainable sources present great possibilities for cheap and reliable electricity. As most economies witness rapid expansion, demand for power is projected to increase significantly.

Advantages of tidal power energy