[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6699\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe tide is turning for underwater turbines\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s clean, doesn\u2019t spoil the landscape and is totally predictable, yet tidal power is one of the least exploited forms of renewable energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge of building out at sea, the toll the salt water can take on equipment and the huge strain the currents can put on components has meant that it is seen as an expensive endeavour.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The sea is one of the world\u2019s most challenging environments,\u2019 said Simon Forrest, chief executive of Nova Innovation, a tidal power company based in Edinburgh, UK. \u2018However, technical innovation and learnings from the wind sector are being used to make the dream of harnessing energy from the tide a reality.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast year, Nova Innovation deployed the world\u2019s first\u0026nbsp;array of tidal turbines, which were connected to the electricity grid in Shetland, UK.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey work by using\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;ebb of the tides from high to low twice a day, which moves huge quantities of water in the world\u2019s seas. This rush of water back and forth can be harnessed to drive turbines beneath the surface, producing electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe array of three 100-kilowatt turbines were installed in Bluemull Sound, the strait of water running between the islands of Unst and Yell in Shetland.\u0026nbsp;Remote islands like these benefit greatly from additional power sources, and they are home to some of the world\u2019s most powerful tidal forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs water is hundreds of times more dense than air, such turbines have the potential to generate much more energy than can be produced by wind turbines of similar size.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, being underwater, tidal turbines also do not invoke the same kind of nimbyism (\u2018not in my back yard\u2019) that often stands in the way of wind farm projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut perhaps the biggest advantage is the reliability of tidal power. While the wind blows intermittently and the sun is often obscured behind clouds, tides can be predicted accurately months or even years in advance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpand capacity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow a consortium of nine industrial, academic and research organisations have joined forces with Nova Innovation to expand the capacity in the Bluemull Sound to six turbines, subsidised as part of an EU-backed project called EnFait.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Technical innovation and learnings from the wind sector are being used to make the dream of harnessing energy from the tide a reality.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ESimon Forrest, Nova Innovation, UK\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether the turbines will have a capacity of 600 kilowatts, enough to power 450 homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe consortium hopes the new array will improve reliability, boost investor confidence and improve the likelihood of future commercial projects. Forrest also believes the experience gained with the new array will deliver a \u2018step change\u2019 in the lifetime cost of tidal power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This project will be viewed in time as being a fundamental game-changer,\u2019 Forrest said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA major element of the project will be moving the position of individual turbines to assess which arrangements in the water capture the most power from the tidal currents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChannels on the seabed, for example, can alter how the tide will flow at different points along a coastline. A turbine might also be well placed to generate energy as the tide flows out, but less so as it floods back in, so finding a spot where it can generate in both directions would be advantageous.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this approach requires the turbines to be small enough to be moveable. Another project, coordinated by the environmental engineering company DEME Blue Energy in Belgium, is focusing on turbines that are permanently fixed in position.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reason is that moveable turbines have to be anchored by supports weighing hundreds of tonnes. These bulky weights can also potentially reduce the natural flow of water, according to DEME Blue Energy\u2019s general manager Joury Van Gijseghem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of an EU-funded project called DEMOTIDE, DEME Blue Energy is to install a six megawatt array of tidal turbines at a tidal site called MeyGen in Pentland Firth, UK the strait that separates the Orkney Islands from the Scottish mainland.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of being anchored with weights, these turbines will be positioned on huge rods, or \u2018monopiles\u2019, that are set deep into the seabed. The technique is commonly used in offshore wind farms, but has never been employed before in a strong tidal environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s quite challenging,\u2019 said Van Gijseghem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether with an existing array of moveable turbines, the new turbines will bring a generating capacity of 12 megawatts to the area by 2020 \u2014 enough to power 7\u0026nbsp;000 homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERenewable contender\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is hoped that the development will pave the way for a third phase of MeyGen, where further turbines will increase the power capacity to 70 megawatts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat could well strengthen the position of tidal power as a future contender in the renewable energy mix, helping future projects attract more investors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/newsalertsignup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/news-alert-final.jpg\u0022 alt width=\u0022983\u0022 height=\u0022222\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EThe Issue\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ETidal energy could help the EU meet its goals of\u0026nbsp;fulfilling 20\u0026nbsp;% of its energy needs with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/energy\/en\/topics\/renewable-energy\/renewable-energy-directive\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Erenewable sources\u003C\/a\u003E by 2020 and 27\u0026nbsp;% by 2030.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe predictable nature of tides means that they are a reliable source of energy. Along with waves, salinity and thermal gradients, they are a key resource in getting energy from our oceans.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is hoped\u0026nbsp;that ocean energy will contribute \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/research\/energy\/index.cfm?pg=area\u0026amp;areaname=renewable_ocean\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E10 % of our power by 2050\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;-\u0026nbsp;enough to meet the daily electricity needs of 76 million households.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-y-jeym8ezjz-ewawr2ezvgdiuv0wafwutdib6axyhge\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-y_JeYm8EZjz-EWaWR2EZvgdiUV0WAfwutdIb6aXyHgE\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]