Alstom's 1 Megawatt Tidal Turbine Shows Promise

Alstom has achieved a significant milestone this week when its tidal power turbine achieved a full nominal power output of 1MW at their European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland.

Alstom notes that what connected to the power grid, the turbine has now generated over 10MWh of electricity in actual operating conditions.

“Tidal power offers an inexhaustible supply of energy, free of greenhouse gas emissions once installed. It also has the advantage of being totally predictable, as tidal currents result from perfectly known astronomical phenomena,” notes Alstom in a comment on their website.

“If all suitable tidal sites in the world were exploited for tidal power, it’s estimated that 100 TWh of electricity could be produced each year.”

Alstom notes that their tidal turbine has shown reliability and performed as expected. Their next step, they note, is to “demonstrate the full range of autonomous running capabilities of the turbine (its ability to efficiently operate independently), continue with the planned maintenance and gather evidence for certification.”