What is Ocean Energy?
A major growth area in renewable power.
The ocean can produce three types of energy:
Tidal Energy: energy generated from tidal movement. Tides contain both potential energy, related to the vertical fluctuations in sea level, and kinetic energy, related to the horizontal motion of the water column.
- Tide Barrages: are based on the rise and fall of the tides. They typically consists of a barrage that encloses a large tidal basin. Water enters the basin through sluice gates in the barrage and is released through low head turbines that generate the electricity
- Tidal Stream: are generators that are based on tidal or marine currents. These are free standing structures built in channels, straits or on the shelf and are designed to harness the kinetic energy of the tide. So they are turbines that generate electricity from horizontally flowing tidal currents.
Wave Energy
- Waves are formed by the transfer of energy from atmospheric motion (wind) to the ocean surface. The height of the wave is determined by wind speed, the length of time the wind has been blowing, the distance over which the wind has been blowing, and the depth and topography of the sea floor.
- Wave energy is generated by converting the energy of ocean waves into other forms of energy (currently electricity). It can be harnessed using a variety of different technologies.
Ocean Thermal Energy
- How this is created is determined on how hot the sun is which results in a temperature difference between the surface water of the ocean and deep ocean water.
- Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a means of converting into useful energy the temperature difference between surface water and water at depth.
Costs
- Operation and maintenance of tidal power is low
- The initial construction of the facility is though to be high. The overall cost of the electricity generated would be high.
For Example:
It is estimated that the Severn tidal project with a proposed capacity of 8,640 MW will cost $1,600 per kW, or over $13.8 billion. This cost exceeds that of coal and oil facilities by a considerable amount.
A major growth area in renewable power.
The ocean can produce three types of energy:
Tidal Energy: energy generated from tidal movement. Tides contain both potential energy, related to the vertical fluctuations in sea level, and kinetic energy, related to the horizontal motion of the water column.
- Tide Barrages: are based on the rise and fall of the tides. They typically consists of a barrage that encloses a large tidal basin. Water enters the basin through sluice gates in the barrage and is released through low head turbines that generate the electricity
- Tidal Stream: are generators that are based on tidal or marine currents. These are free standing structures built in channels, straits or on the shelf and are designed to harness the kinetic energy of the tide. So they are turbines that generate electricity from horizontally flowing tidal currents.
Wave Energy
- Waves are formed by the transfer of energy from atmospheric motion (wind) to the ocean surface. The height of the wave is determined by wind speed, the length of time the wind has been blowing, the distance over which the wind has been blowing, and the depth and topography of the sea floor.
- Wave energy is generated by converting the energy of ocean waves into other forms of energy (currently electricity). It can be harnessed using a variety of different technologies.
Ocean Thermal Energy
- How this is created is determined on how hot the sun is which results in a temperature difference between the surface water of the ocean and deep ocean water.
- Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a means of converting into useful energy the temperature difference between surface water and water at depth.
Costs
- Operation and maintenance of tidal power is low
- The initial construction of the facility is though to be high. The overall cost of the electricity generated would be high.
For Example:
It is estimated that the Severn tidal project with a proposed capacity of 8,640 MW will cost $1,600 per kW, or over $13.8 billion. This cost exceeds that of coal and oil facilities by a considerable amount.