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Ocean kinetics - Tidal Energy

Energy from the ocean

Three-quarters of the earth’s surface are covered by water, 97% thereof are salt water. The possibilities for generating electrical energy from this are many and varied, whether through waves, streams or tidal lift. ANDRITZ Hydro is aware of the role that ocean energy can play in the future, and contributes to the development of trendsetting concepts.

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For each geographic location, optimized solutions are designed. These include marine water bulb turbines that exploit the tidal lift in bays or estuaries, tidal stream turbines on the sea floor near the coast that make use of the underwater tidal streams, and offshore applications such as “tidal lagoons”.

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Do you have questions, please send us an email or contact your nearest local ANDRITZ partner.

Ocean-based electrical energy production

Tidal power plants

Tidal power plants are saltwater applications and typically use an existing natural bay blocked with a dam. In 2012 the world largest tidal power plant Sihwa (10 x 26 MW) was inaugurated in South Korea. ANDRITZ Hydro delivered and installed the electromechanical equipment. In 2014, ANDRITZ Hydro was awarded with the rehabilitation of the oldest commercial tidal power plant HPP La Rance in France.

Largest tidal power plant Sihwa in South Korea

Tidal current power plant

At the end of 2014, ANDRITZ Hydro Hammerfest received an order from the UK-based tidal development company MeyGen Ltd. to supply three 1.5 MW tidal current turbines for an array under construction in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth, Scotland.

The order placed with ANDRITZ Hydro Hammerfest is the first commercial order worldwide to supply tidal current turbines and part of the first project phase in completion of the MeyGen tidal array, which is the largest development project worldwide for a tidal turbine array.

Turbine for EMEC project, Scottland

Tidal lagoon power plant

The latest tidal energy design is to build an artificial off-shore lagoon, mostly encompassed by a dam providing a head. In February 2015 ANDRITZ Hydro, as a market leader in tidal energy technology, was appointed in a consortium with GE by Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay plc. as preferred bidder for the supply of the electromechanical equipment for the world’s first tidal lagoon hydropower project in Swansea Bay, Wales, UK. It will be located in the Severn Estuary and will be equipped with 16 bulb units, more than 20 MW each.

Swansea Bay in Wales UK - First tidal lagoon power plant

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Tidal energy

Read an article about he future of ocean-based electrical energy in Hydro News 27.

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ANDRITZ Hydro Hammerfest

Transport of the turbine for Mey Gen in Scottland

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    Renewable energy from tidal currents PDF : 920 KB