Scientists from all over the U.K. believe that obtaining power through the tidal stream of the oceans could be the most predictable and reliable means of accomplishing the country’s future energy demands. However, for the source to be used, the government must intervene to encourage innovation in the field. This would result in a reduction of cost so that future projects would have a chance of providing cheap electricity. Such opportunities do not exist in today’s world due to the way government agencies have configured their energy funding schemes.
A research team has presented a study that provides evidence stating that tidal stream power might have the ability to deliver 11% of the U.K.’s present annual electricity need. Further, it could also play a vital role towards the government’s goal of net-zero. The study could significantly contribute to the Wave and Tidal Energy Market since it sends a critical and timely message to the world and various governments about the strategic use of tidal stream energy to achieve sustainable development goals.
The research investigates the environmental effects of wave and tidal streams as a future energy source. They discovered no evidence indicating that the next phase of tidal stream innovations would lead to any significant disastrous environmental impact. The physical environmental consequences are likely to be orders of magnitude less severe than those caused by climate change.
The team added that as per their conclusions, it is highly likely that the British Channel Islands’ tidal stream energy resource could meet the electricity demand required by the country currently. However, achieving the amount would need 11.5 GW of tidal stream turbine volume while the country only stands at 18MW today. It is noteworthy that U.K. offshore wind industry took around 20 years to develop the capacity of 11.5 GW. So, if tidal stream power is to be brought to the forefront, preparations need to be made now, and time is of great essence.
The government has already shown interest in Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. In 2017, almost 30% of the U.K.’s energy needs were met through renewable technologies such as solar and wind power. However, the electricity demand is set to increase by almost double by 2050. Although wind and solar power can take on the burden, a diverse generation technology mixture is required to keep energy production consistent.
In this regard, the research presented is an in-depth review of the state-of-the-art and opportunities concerning tidal stream energy. There are still numerous engineering challenges ahead, but this low carbon energy source needs to be developed as it is feasible and could play a critical role in future net-zero energy generation.