The world's
first marine current turbine has been installed just off the coast
of North Devon.
The £3m turbine has been built into the seabed about a kilometre and
a half (one mile) offshore from Lynmouth.
The single 11 metre-long rotor blade will be capable of producing
300 kilowatts of electricity and will be a test-bed for further tidal
turbines.
It is hoped to convert the system to twin rotors by the end of next
year.
Project developers Marine Current Turbines Ltd and Cornwall-based
Seacore hope to have the turbine hooked up to the national grid by
the end of August 2003.
Martin Wright, of Marine Current Turbines Ltd, said: "We estimate
that there is at least 10 gigawatts of power available from tidal
power in the UK.
"That's the same as about half of the existing nuclear industry."
Artist's
impression of a double rotor tidal machine
A marine
current turbine looks like a smaller version of a modern windmill
and the principle is exactly the same.
But whereas a windmill draws energy from the movement of air, the
marine turbine uses currents in the water.
Its backers believe the concept can become a rival to wind power because
ocean currents are more reliable than wind and also because they are
less obtrusive; the structure is built on the seabed and projects
just a few metres above the surface.
There is no danger to fish because the blades rotate quite slowly
- about 20 revolutions per minute.
Several experimental devices working on similar principles have been
built before, but the turbine unveiled in Devon is the first such
permanent installation in the world to generate electricity.
If it performs as expected, the consortium behind it hopes to build
a whole set of turbines in the area - a tidal farm.
The project is financed by the Department of Trade and Industry and
the European Commission's energy programme.
