digg

Join DiggAbout

Call for questions
Submit and vote up questions you'd like to see answered by Kevin & Jay at the next Digg Townhall on 11/18.

See the original image at cleantechnica.com —

Scotland Plans World's First Tidal Turbine Farms

cleantechnica.com — The two projects, which each include 20 underwater turbines, will be finished within three years and will provide power to 40,000 homes. ScottishPower Renewables will apply for planning permission next year to build the two farms in Northern Ireland's seabed. The turbines will be manufactured in Scotland to increase the country's green-collar jobs.

show profanity settings
expand all
  • Tomboys, on 09/29/2008, -1/+26Looks like the Scots are doing more than getting in street brawls and looking great in Kilts.
    • beloitpiper, on 09/30/2008, -0/+5And we do!
    • PhilLesh69, on 09/30/2008, -2/+1Except the claim of "first tidal turbine farm" is incorrect. I guess there are no fact checkers at cleantechnica.com.

      This is a story from April 2007, and the first two turbines were installed in December of 2006.

      http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18567/

      Corren's team installed its first two turbines in the East River in December. One has been delivering a maximum of 35 kilowatts of power to New York City, swiveling to generate power as the river swells with the high tides and empties with the low. The other turbine delivers performance data that Corren says will be crucial to refining the blades and gearbox, generator, and control system to optimize power generation.

      This month Verdant added four more 35-kilowatt turbines. Corren says Verdant is now working on a next-generation design that will be cheaper to mass-produce, in anticipation of installing a farm of at least 100 turbines at the East River site.
      • theysayjump, on 09/30/2008, -1/+3"New York City installed its first turbine for their tidal power farm earlier this month, but the Scottish plan differs in that the farms will be located in the open sea, not a river or straight."
      • PhilLesh69, on 09/30/2008, -1/+1oh, yeah, that makes them a first. "World's First Tidal Turbine Farm" means open sea, not in some dirty river.

        What about the group in Southern Florida who is probably a year ahead of this Scottish plan, considering I saw the plan on a Discovery Channel story about a year ago.

        And they'll be tapping the gulf stream. (okay, maybe that's not "tidal" but it is certainly using the same technology.

        Besides, the french have been doing it for a few decades, and there are about 3 different ways to tap the tides for electrical generation already in play. One uses the air pressure created by waves and tides to push vertical turbines. I can't remember where, but that one was from the late 70's or early 80's.
    • niznik, on 09/30/2008, -0/+1Aye lad, ye bet we lok guid in these troosers as weeel. (Hope my Scottish sister in law is not a digg reader)

      Great project and a good deployment of renewable technology investment.
  • ethicalethical, on 09/29/2008, -1/+13I lived in the windiest city in North America (St Johns, Newfoundland) for many years, so I KNOW Canada has wind, and lots of it --
    how come THERE ARE NEXT-TO-NO-INCENTIVES-FOR-INVESTMENT-IN-GREEN-INDUSTRIES-IN-CANADA ?????
    I am telling you, the GREEN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IS COMING bringing with it MASSIVE POTENTIAL FOR COMPANIES TO MAKE OODLES OF MONEY .... does anyone expect Harper's oil-driven ideas to give Canada a chance at REAL COMPETITION IN THESE NEW SECTORS -- SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT -- VOTE FOR HARPER!!!
    • bstory, on 09/29/2008, -0/+2Harper tries to use scar tactics to govern and we all know how much Americans liked that for the past 8 years. Harper better not get in again!
    • whahaa, on 09/30/2008, -0/+0i agree with what you're saying, but what's with the whispering? speak up, please.
    • rico169, on 10/13/2008, -0/+0It is because no-one wants to invest in generating electricity in Newfoundland. It isnt efficient to distribute it from there to anywhere that really needs it. It isnt as if there is a lot of heavy industry on the rock.
  • tbhurst, on 09/29/2008, -0/+14Tidal power really taking off in UK:: http://digg.com/tech_news/First_Commercial_Scale_T ...
    • PhilLesh69, on 09/30/2008, -4/+1Yeah, but Scotland is apparently going to install the "first" tidal turbine farm.

      Even New York City has one:

      http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18567/

      Corren's team installed its first two turbines in the East River in December. One has been delivering a maximum of 35 kilowatts of power to New York City, swiveling to generate power as the river swells with the high tides and empties with the low. The other turbine delivers performance data that Corren says will be crucial to refining the blades and gearbox, generator, and control system to optimize power generation.

      This month Verdant added four more 35-kilowatt turbines. Corren says Verdant is now working on a next-generation design that will be cheaper to mass-produce, in anticipation of installing a farm of at least 100 turbines at the East River site.
  • kazz67, on 09/29/2008, -0/+11Always happy to digg good news. (Doesn't happen nearly often enough!)
    It's not often I get the opportunity to say I'm proud of something my country (Britain) is doing, so I'm doubly happy to digg this! :o)
  • oakraid706, on 09/29/2008, -0/+16Maybe the US can put some in front of New Orleans?
  • samotage, on 09/29/2008, -0/+6The tides are turning? Pretty cool to see this awesome new tidal technology start to come of age. I wonder how far it can be scaled?
  • WordsnCollision, on 09/30/2008, -1/+5Leave it to the Scots to build an underwater wind farm.
  • mrbambastik, on 09/30/2008, -3/+4The first tidal turbine farm was built in the Rance bay of France in 1967 over 40 years ago:
    http://www.ecosources.info/Usines-maremotrices
    It is still in operation today as a farm of 24 turbines, produces 500 GWh/year and powers 250,000 households

    The original title of this entry is misleading. Scotland's is certainly not the first tidal powerplant ever, it isn't even built yet.

    • PhilLesh69, on 09/30/2008, -5/+1That's the problem I have with the title, too.

      http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18567/

      New York City has one as well, in the east river.

      I think there's also a plan that is just as ambitious or even more ambitious than the scottish plan, in southern florida, that intends to use the Gulf Stream currents.
  • bigbangbuddha, on 09/30/2008, -0/+3Now that's renewable energy!!!
  • ErickStevenson, on 09/30/2008, -0/+2That's nice, atleast we are slowly heading toward the right direction on energy.
  • jvaidya1, on 09/30/2008, -1/+2I applaude the effort. How long is it going to take for more countries (namely the United States) to realize the countless potential advantages from adopting green technology like this? Ignoring the national security perks, green energy provides something America or any other nation (to my knowledge) has never had..... RENEWABLE ENERGY.

    The U.S. is fortunate enough to have such diverse ecosystems across our vast country that I'm shocked other green technologies such as wind turbines and solar and geothermal energy aren't more common.

    Americans spend enough $ on non-renewable energy sources to make green energy appealing even if it isn't as efficient of a power source.
  • waydee, on 09/30/2008, -0/+1My home country has a really good chance to set an example for the rest of the UK, there's already a lot of wind farms up here and lots of research being put into tidal energy not to mention the hydroelectric dams that have existed for some time now.

    The oil companies based in the east and working in the North Sea are finally starting to play their rightful part in funding renewables research and education but could always do with a bit more pressure from the Scottish government.
  • Thumper13, on 09/30/2008, -0/+1Some people just want to drill, drill, drill instead of coming up with creative ways to save us energy in other sectors.
    Come on U.S., lets be innovators again...remember that whole moon thing?
  • SLockhart, on 09/30/2008, -0/+6Makes sense. The Scots practically invented the modern world.
    • rpgguy1o1, on 09/30/2008, -5/+3my world revolves around drinking and not wearing pants too
  • staceZ, on 09/30/2008, -0/+3There's enough power to be had with ocean tides to power the entire earth with these underwater turbines. Not to mention these can go in rivers without having to dam them.
  • fireashes, on 09/30/2008, -1/+2I thought Brazil was the first one. Correct me if I am wrong
  • Osseram, on 09/30/2008, -0/+1Modern day "Brave Hearts"
  • bigcrags, on 09/30/2008, -1/+0Sounds great. Run it from Scotland and put it in Northern Irish waters! I wonder what the NI trawlermen think of that
  • keithloughnane, on 09/30/2008, -1/+0Northern Ireland did it first http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BOzRSWDX3ik&feature= ...
  • larissa13, on 09/30/2008, -0/+2Genius! I would love to see the USA implement an immediate plan for this type of renewable energy.
  • RogueGenius, on 09/30/2008, -0/+1I guess technically this is 'Lunar' power. Pretty cool. I know the East River changes direction every day due to tidal action. I wonder if it could be tapped. It's conveniently located right in the middle of New York City.
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.