http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2016/aug/scotland-tidal-array.cfm
[links and image in on-line article]
Tidal energy array makes first exports to grid
30 August 2016
By Tereza Pultarova
A tidal array consisting of a set of turbines has been connected to the
national electricity grid in Scotland.
Marine engineers from Edinburgh-based firm Nova Innovation have been
busy installing the second of the two underwater turbines this month at
a site in Shetland Isles. The two underwater turbines are linked, making
them the world’s first operational tidal array.
The first turbine was installed in March inBluemull Sound and has been
generating power ever since in all tidal conditions.
The firm behind the project envisages gradually building a large array
comprising multiple turbines. The installation of the second device is a
major step towards this goal.
Previous tidal projects, such as the Strangford Lough plant in Northern
Ireland, consist only of one turbine.
"We are absolutely delighted to be the first company in the world to
deploy a fully operational tidal array," said Simon Forrest, managing
director of Nova Innovation.
The government of Scotland is currently working on a new energy strategy
that reportedly aims to set some rather ambitious goals including for
Scotland to become Europe’s first fully renewable nation by 2030. In
2015, the country generated more than 57 per cent of its electricity
from renewables, beating the government’s official 50 per cent target.
Earlier this month wind turbines managed to cover all of Scotland's
electricity demand for a short period of time when winds were high.
"Scotland is already at the forefront of capturing power from the tides
and waves, and Nova's latest news demonstrates that lead is
well-deserved,” said Jenny Hogan, director of policy at Scottish
Renewables. "The country is already home to some of the most advanced
marine energy technologies anywhere, as well as the European Marine
Energy Centre - arguably the most advanced marine energy proving site in
the world."
Lang Banks, director of environmental lobby group WWF Scotland,
commented: "News that power has been exported to grid for the first time
by a pair of tidal devices marks yet another major milestone on
Scotland's journey to becoming a fully renewable nation. With some of
the most powerful tides in Europe, Scotland is well placed to lead in
developing this promising technology, which will help to cut climate
emissions and create green jobs right across the country.”
While Scotland has set itself fully on the renewable path, South-East
Asia is increasingly turning to nuclear to meet its energy needs. The
Philippines is considering connecting its only nuclear power plant to
the grid more than 30 years after it was built in order to reduce its
reliance on fossil fuel imports.
The $2bn 620MW plant in Bataan province, northwest of Manila, has never
been used. Putting it online will require an additional $1bn investment.
"We have to weigh all our options, with emphasis not just on meeting
capacity requirements, but sustainability and environmental obligations
as well," the country’s energy secretary Alfonso Cusi said at the
opening of a three-day international conference on nuclear power in Manila.
International nuclear technology experts including those from the
International Atomic Energy Agency have been invited to help the
Philippines review the decision and possibly prepare a plan for the
plant’s safe launch.
Cusi said there is no firm timeline for the project.
The Bataan plant, completed in 1984 under the rule of the late
Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was declared unsafe soon after
completion because of its location in a major tectonically active area.
It has never generated power and was mothballed in 1986 in the wake of
the Chernobyl disaster. A decade ago Manila looked into reopening the
plant but the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident renewed concerns about safety.
Marcos ordered the construction 1976 in order to address rising energy
prices – still an issue for the Philippines four decades later. The
country expects to see its electricity demand grow by 5 per cent every
year until at least 2030.
"We need to move away from fossil fuels like coal but nuclear energy is
not safe and will also harm the people and environment," said Zaira
Patricia Baniaga of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice in a
statement issued before the conference.
Other South-East Asian countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia
and Thailand are examining the prospects of adding nuclear power to
their energy mix.
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