The Port of London Authority (PLA) has given the green light for trials of tidal energy technology on a portion of the River Thames. By definition, tidal energy is “power produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides”.
The harboring of the trials is located on a part of the Thames that is between the areas of Woolwich and Thamesmead in South-East London; this location is cut across by commercial freighters, cruise ships, and recreational users of the river. The trial is being tested by newly formed Thames Tidal, Nautricity, and Energy Invest Group who is also partially financing the trial alongside developing it.
The introduction
The introduction of tidal energy in a portion of the Thames is a result of implementing research and the findings from it which heavily suggested that the use of tidal energy amongst in and amongst London could potentially provide a power supply for operators and pier owners. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy that reinstates the aforementioned power supply element and the reliability element of using this as a source of energy.
The PLA wants to advocate the use of micro-generation; the new site enables developers to commence large-scale and true-to-size tests of their systems. Traditionally, space limitations would have been a huge obstacle in tidal turbine technology, however, the accessibility to spaces has enabled more sufficient trials and has thus provided developers with the opportunity to test emerging technologies.
Previous trials
The success of previous trials has led Thames Tidal and Nautricity to plan an installation of hundreds of tidal turbines in the Thames which are said to power up 35,000 homes. The energy design which is set to be exhibited in the Thames trial will be the Nautricity Cormat tidal turbine design – a small capsule style design; the trial is being carried out in opposition to a permanently moored ship located at Temple steps in London’s center. If the results of the Thames trial show out to be successful, tidal energy is said to expand beyond its current location, Westminster to Margate.
As already stated, tidal energy is a renewable source of energy, however, the advantages of this energy source exceed just renewability. Tides are very predictable which is advantageous to developers as they can establish a window of the most energy production which can result in better efficiency. Additionally, tidal energy does not produce any greenhouse gases nor any wasteful energies thus, emphasizing a clean use of energy.
Disadvantages
On the contrary, there are some disadvantages to using tidal energy. Although the special capacity is newly at large in comparison to tradition, the initial construction is largely time-consuming which may hinder projected dates of trial and or construction completion. More central to the bodies of water themselves, animals and plants may be largely affected in between the process of construction, completion, and thereafter.
Moreover, tidal energy can also interrupt the migration of existing organisms in the ocean. Lastly, the production time for energy is only up to 10 hours of the day which can later become a regressive issue due to potentially having to account for enough energy to supply the aforementioned number of London homes.
Conclusion
Conclusively, it is evident that the introduction of tidal energy via the Thames trial will be largely beneficial and advantageous to London’s current energy usage. The shift in traditional tidal energy turbines has benefited developers in being able to accurately assess size proportions and proximity regarding the potential for space limitation. Having acknowledged the advantages of tidal energy, the drawbacks are a cause for environmental concern as well as the initial construction being largely time-consuming.
It is worth noting as tidal energy is further developed and researched, there is potential to combat the previously mentioned drawbacks.
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