Nonrenewable sources make up a large portion of the energy we use today. This ultimately means that these resources will eventually exhaust. Additionally, by emitting greenhouse gases, a large portion of this energy contributes significantly to global pollution. Consequently, as the threat posed by climate change grows, attention has been drawn to renewable energy sources and the need for clean energy. As a result, brand-new energy-harnessing techniques, like tidal energy, have developed quickly. Tidal energy is a type of hydropower that has a lot of potentials to power the world in the future.
What is Tidal Energy?
Every day, tidal phenomena occur. We can predict the tides years in advance, allowing us to predictably project the potential for tidal energy production.
Because of tidal patterns, the ocean, which covers a large portion of the planet, travels around it. Energy is produced by both the tides’ motion and the waves that follow it. The kinetic energy created by the currents’ movement is converted into usable energy as they move.
Tidal energy might end up being one of the most significant renewable energy sources we have because of how common tides are and how regularly they occur. According to research, tidal energy could supply up to 10% of the world’s energy requirements. According to estimates, the tides might give us 700TWh annually.
But converting tides into energy is still in the early stages of development for renewable tidal energy. Early tidal energy installations demonstrate how to use tidal energy as a fossil fuel substitute. Clean energy is something we must use as the importance of renewable energy becomes more apparent.
Tidal energy does, however, have benefits and drawbacks, as with many other things.
How Does Tidal Energy Work?
Tidal Streams
Tidal streams produce the majority of tidal energy.
A swift current caused by the tide is known as a tidal stream. On the ocean floor are installed turbines to harness its power. Water motion causes turbines, which resemble wheels or rotors with blades, to spin. They function similarly to wind turbines.
Because they are typically quite large, placing these turbines on the ocean floor can be very challenging. In fact, because of their size, the tides can be upset, defeating the purpose of placing them there. Additionally, they might affect ships and marine life.
Tidal Barrages
A tidal barrage is similar to a sizable dam that is built in the ocean to collect tidal energy. Tunnels within the dam are used for water flow. The turbines that are concealed inside these tunnels are pushed by the tide as it comes in and goes out.
Due to the area, they create being cut off from the rest of the ocean, barrages, like tidal streams, can have a significant effect on the environment around them. Sewage and other marine life may also be trapped by this.
Tidal Lagoons
Similar to barrages, tidal lagoons operate. Additionally, they use a portion of the ocean’s energy to move turbines inside a man-made structure. The lagoon fills up with water and then empties out as the turbines turn.
In comparison to barrages, lagoons are built slightly differently. Similar to a dam, a barrage cuts directly through an estuary. However, a tidal lagoon can be built to have the least amount of an impact on the local wildlife because it is typically built along the natural coastline.
The Advantages of Tidal Energy
It’s a Renewable Source of Energy
Because tides are a constant source of movement and flow, we can continually draw energy from them. This renewable energy source can be used indefinitely to produce the energy we require, whether we use stream generators, tidal barrages, or even dynamic tidal power.
Since the tides are dependent on the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, these forces won’t be going away anytime soon. In contrast to fossil fuels, which will eventually run out, tides last forever, making tidal energy a renewable source.
It is Environmentally Friendly
Tidal energy is an eco-friendly energy source once the necessary technology is in place. It is cleaner than other sources of energy because there is a decrease in greenhouse gases.
Tidal energy installations don’t need as much space as large solar ones. On the west coast of South Korea, for instance, the Sihwas Lake Tidal Power Station produces 254 MW of tidal energy. Only about 12 km of the seawall is needed for the space.
But in the long run, it’s still largely unknown what a tidal power system will ultimately do to the environment.
Tides Are Predictable
We will always experience tides, just like the sun always shines in the sky. Because the currents are predictable, we can design systems that effectively use them. Putting tidal energy systems where we will see the highest energy yields, for instance.
Similar to how wind turbines operate, the system does so. The system’s size and the installed capacity, however, are very different. This is due to the tides’ consistency, which the wind occasionally lacks. Tidal energy plants have the potential to produce large amounts of electricity, even though the technology operates differently as a result. This is one of the obvious benefits of tidal energy.
It Generates Energy at Low Speeds
Since water has a higher density than air, the tide can still produce energy even when it is moving more slowly. In comparison to sources like wind energy, it is therefore very effective. Furthermore, it’s possible that a wind turbine won’t produce any energy at all on a day with no wind.
Durable Equipment
A tidal power plant has a much longer lifespan than solar or wind farms. In contrast, they have the potential to last up to four times as long. Tidal barrages are concrete fortifications spanning river estuaries if that makes sense. Up to 100 years can pass between replacements of these structures. La Rance in France is a fantastic illustration of this. It started operating back in 1966, and it’s still producing clean energy today.
The lifespan of solar and wind energy equipment, which is typically 20 to 25 years, is much shorter than that of this. Additionally, the effectiveness of the equipment may decline and cause it to become obsolete. Tidal power is thus a better choice in the long run from a cost-effective standpoint.
The Disadvantages of Tidal Energy
They Have An Impact on Marine Life
Marine and sea life can be harmed by tidal barrages and other systems. Tidal barrages generate energy by drawing water into and out of estuaries. The barrages do, however, change how the water flows once they are in place. The tidal turbines force water through them, which can interfere with how marine life survives and adjusts to high and low tides4.
Any marine life that tries to swim through the blades faces danger. A change in the structure of the estuary caused by silt deposits makes aquatic plants vulnerable.
Maintenance and Corrosion Are An Issue
The saltwater itself can corrode machinery as well as the constant movement of water. Therefore, regular maintenance is required for the equipment. Furthermore, because corrosion-resistant materials must be used in their design, the systems may prove to be expensive2. Tidal energy production requires equipment that can withstand continuous exposure to water, including the turbines and cabling.
The goal is to make tidal energy systems as dependable and maintenance-free as possible because they are expensive and challenging to maintain. Even so, maintenance is still necessary, and it is more difficult to work on anything that is submerged underwater.
They Have to Be Within Close Proximity to Land
Near land, the currents are strongest. This necessitates that tidal energy systems be situated close to the land.
Longer-distance energy transportation is currently more difficult and expensive. This is due to the fact that a large number of fast tidal flows occur in areas that are shipping lanes and, in some cases, too far from the grid. This is yet another obstacle to the use of this energy source. Nevertheless, there is hope that technology will advance and allow for the deployment of tidal energy systems at sea. However, unlike hydropower, tidal energy does not cause the land to flood.
It is a Costly Technology
The use of tidal energy is still quite recent. Although some regions of the world use other renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, their growth has not been as rapid.
The technology is therefore still relatively expensive. Even so, predictions indicate that tidal energy might start to make money in the commercial sector by 2020. This occurs when modern technology is used for large-scale system installations.
However, energy-harvesting plants are also subject to high costs. As a result, this might stop the advancement of tidal energy.
It is An Intermittent Energy Source.
Even though the amount of energy produced by tidal power is predictable, it is not continuous. Even though we can predict with absolute certainty when the tidal power plant will produce electricity, the amount of energy that is produced might not equal the amount needed. For instance, if high tide occurs at noon, tidal electricity will be generated at or near that time. The energy demand peaks are typically in the morning and evening, with midday seeing the lowest demand. So, even though the tidal power plant will generate all of this electricity, it won’t be required. To maximize the use of the energy it generates, tidal power would therefore need to be coupled with battery storage.
Close Note: Having Lots Of Potentials
We are all aware of water’s strength. It produces an incredible amount of energy, which is seen in everything from flowing rivers to the tides of the ocean. This is a rich source of energy that might enable us to alter our behavior.
Up to 71% of the planet is made up of water, with the oceans holding 96.5% of that total. As a result, it is unquestionably an energy source that we ought to try to tap into. Tidal energy will become less of an untapped resource as technology develops and the need to go green becomes more pressing. In terms of tidal energy, it must therefore be a question of when rather than if.