| The majority of all presently applied renewable energies, including hydro (both conventional and wave), wind, solar, and biomass, directly or indirectly utilize solar radiation and convert it into electric energy. Yet the list of available sources for renewable energies is far from being exhausted; the moon’s revolution around the earth produces tides that can be used for energy generation.
Tidal power stations were first developed and tested in the 1970’s; they harness the water masses that periodically flow into sea bays and drive conventional hydro turbines when the tide goes out. The disadvantage of this technology is that they require large barrages in the sea.
Voith Siemens Hydro therefore develops innovative tidal power stations that do not utilize the water storage but, similar to wind power stations, exploit the kinetic energy of the current and are operated fully under water. For this purpose, up to three turbines, each with a nominal power of 1 MW, are installed within a bridge-like structure. These turbines can be rotated around their horizontal axis, which allows them to make optimum use of the water and its flow direction, which changes every six hours. In this way, renewable energy can be generated without any change to the landscape.
In July 2007, Voith Siemens Hydro and Renetec have agreed upon and signed a relevant joint venture. Located in Jeollanam-do region of South Korea, it markets and produces tidal current turbines under the name of Voith Siemens Hydro Tidal Corporation. Voith Siemens Hydro holds a 51 percent share in the enterprise.
Current development work is focused on a large local project, a tidal current power station, with a nominal output of approximately 600 MW. This power station can cover the annual electricity requirements of 400 000 households.
|
