Wave and tidal power Report
The UK has the best wave and tidal resource in Europe which has the
potential to provide some of the UK’s energy in future years.
Some tidal plants work by capturing water in a pool as the tide comes in. The water is then released through a turbine as the tide goes out. Such schemes are similar to hydroelectric dams, but with the water coming from the action of the tides, not from rainwater or river flow.
Other
tidal schemes are similar to wind farms; they have turbines mounted underwater
and are driven by tidal movement.
Power is supplied when the tide is flowing which only happens for around
10 hours each day. It doesn’t produce carbon dioxide emissions
and is a renewable source of energy.
Technology is still at the experimental stage and more development is needed. It may also be expensive to build and maintain and may not be enough to meet baseload demands for electricity.
- Find out where waves and tides are strongest around the UK
- Read about these case studies for wave power
- ...and for tidal power