The world’s first tidal energy farm could power 175,000 homes
Off the northernmost tip of Scotland, in an area called the Pentland Firth, the world’s first large-scale underwater energy farm is being built.
Whereas wind turbines use the movement of air to turn the blades and generate power, the new set of submerged turbines will be turned by the ocean’s tides.
The project, called MeyGen, is expected to have a power generation capacity of 398 megawatts – enough to power 175,000 homes in Scotland, according to Atlantis Resources, the developer of the project. The first four turbines are expected to be installed by the end of 2016 (though that’s contingent on tidal and weather conditions), and projected to start delivering power by early 2017.
An iconic, world-first infrastructure project in South West Wales
Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon will be the world’s first tidal lagoon power plant.
A tidal lagoon is a ‘U’ shaped breakwater, built out from the coast which has a bank of hydro turbines in it. Water fills up and empties the man-made lagoon as the tides rise and fall. We generate electricity on both the incoming and outgoing tides, four times a day, every day.
Due to the incredible tides on the West Coast of Britain, by keeping the turbine gates shut for just three hours, there is already a 14 foot height difference in water between the inside and the outside of the lagoon. Power is then generated as the water rushes through 200ft long draft tubes, rotating the 23ft diameter hydro turbines.
Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon received planning consent in 2015 and will comprise 16 hydro turbines, a six mile breakwater wall, generating electricity for 155,000 homes for the next 120 years.
The 320MW pathfinder project provides a scalable blueprint for our programme, opening up the option of a fleet of larger UK tidal lagoons to generate renewable electricity at a scale and low cost not seen before.
Our aim is to start construction works on site in 2017, with the marine works (construction of the breakwaters/bund walls) commencing in early Spring 2018. Construction of the entire project will take a maximum of five years to complete.
Tidal energy represents a large energy potential and is a predictable and environmentally friendly energy source. Compact design and solid composite material provides low weight, low cost and easy installation. The system is inherently buoyant allowing the systems to be towed to site, submerged and easily installed. There are no moving parts in the turbine. The system is self regulating and operational over a large range of tidal stream velocities. The system also has limited environmental impact, with a slow moving turbine.
The minimal turbulence created by the Flumill systems and the lack of cavitation means that Flumill tidal parks can be far more concentrated than e.g. horizontal axis turbines.
A more concentrated park setup will first and foremost result in greater power outputs from smaller areas of seabed, in addition to reduced costs through reduced number of cable meters needed.
The Flumill system can operate in tidal streams as low as 1 m/s flow.
This information comes from the website of Flumill.
Carnegie was the first wave energy company to generate both power and freshwater onshore as part of its Perth Wave Energy Project at Garden Island in Western Australia.
Carnegie is an ASX-listed company based in Perth, Western Australia. Carnegie is developing its 100% owned CETO wave energy technology. The CETO technology has been under development for over 10 years at the company’s corporate office and their unique Wave Energy Research Facility at Fremantle.
Named after a Greek sea goddess, CETO offers the potential to revolutionise power and water production globally. CETO harnesses the enormous renewable energy present in our ocean’s waves and converts it into two of the most valuable commodities underpinning the sustainable growth of the planet; zero-emission electricity and zero-emission desalinated water.
The CETO system is different from other wave energy devices as it operates under water where it is safer from large storms and invisible from the shore. The fully submerged buoys drive pumps and generators that are contained offshore, within the buoy itself, with power delivered back to shore through subsea cables to power desalination plants as well as for export into the grid.
CETO differs from other wave technologies under development globally by being fully submerged and generating power onshore rather than offshore. CETO has been proven at pilot scale and is now in its commercial demonstration phase.
This information comes from the website of Carnegie Wave Energy.
We are making a building material out of hemp to build a better world.
This precast and pre-dried form of hempcrete will improve the speed of implementation, using a universal method: the brick wall. We want to be a sustainable development accelerator.
ART DU CHANVRE is a company working in construction and design. Specialists in hemp insulation and lime finishes. All of our services and products are the fruits of dedicated craftsmanship. We have an engagement for quality.
Our vision is to grow our own organic hemp, to transform it in our future plant powered by renewable energy and to produce and distribute our products, our equipment and our expertise. This is our long-term vision for this project and we hope it becomes a model for other communities around the world. Our hope is the Building with hemp project becomes a success throughout communities.
Hempcrete is the wall system that owns all the qualities. The hemp & lime insulation is completely natural. Its resistance to fire, mold and vermin makes it the most durable of all.
This information comes from the website of ART DU CHANVRE.
The world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train is coming to Germany
The world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train has been unveiled this week by French transport company Alstom, which will be operating the incredibly quiet and environmentally friendly ‘Coradia iLint’ in Germany from next year.
The best thing about the Coradia iLint train is that it only leaks excess steam and condensed water into the atmosphere, which means it offers a zero-emissions alternative to Germany’s 4,000-strong fleet of diesel trains.
Nicknamed the hydrail, it’s set to become the first hydrogen-powered passenger train to regularly operate over long distances.
CMR Prototech is planning to install hydrogen fuel cells on the Osterøy car ferry “MF Ole Bull”, operating between Valestrand and Breistein just outside Bergen. The ferry will be the first car ferry in Norway to use hydrogen as fuel. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen and fuel cells for marine electric propulsion, and to test hybrid operation together with Li-ion batteries. One of the ferry’s two diesel engines will be replaced by an electric motor powered by 200 kW commercially available PEM fuel cells combined with 100 kWh batteries.
This information comes from the website of Christian Michelsen Research.
WaterSeer™ will create water self-sufficiency, and will be a transformative force for good throughout the world.
It is hard to imagine a day without an abundance of clean, safe water. We drink our fill, shower and bathe daily, water our lawns, wash our clothes and dishes knowing that clean, safe water is an unquestioned condition of our lives. Yet, throughout the world today, one in three people do not have the daily minimum, 7.1 cups of water needed to survive. Worldwide, a child dies every 90 seconds for lack of clean drinking water, nearly 1000 a day. Daily nearly 10,000 people die from dehydration and waterborne disease.
WaterSeer™ eliminates this chronic and tragic burden by providing access to clean, safe drinking water, right where people live, by extracting water directly from the air.
WaterSeer™ condenses pure water from the air without power or chemicals. It is green, sustainable, simple, low-maintenance, easily deployed and scalable for any community. VICI-Labs worked with UC Berkeley and the National Peace Corps Association to develop a device that yields up to 37 liters of pure water a day! A WaterSeer™ Orchard will provide enough clean water for an entire community.
This information comes from the website of WaterSeer.
