Tidal power barrage Plants

Tidal power barrage Plants

Introduction

Tidal waves can be used as the source of energy. These waves can be used to generate electric powers for countries around the globe. There is a requirement to develop proper methods, and specifications, in order to be able to use tidal waves as the source of energy in current decade. Today, the idea of using tidal waves for the generation of energy has been discussed and implemented by making barrages on dams. Previously, this idea was not used, and water mills were used to grind the corn especially in the middle ages. The first proposal came into being in 1920 (Elliott, p. 196). The proposal got accepted and the whole process got seriously implemented, in order to be able to generate electricity by using tidal waves. The idea was to establish 72 turbines, in order to create 804 mega watts electricity. As time passed, during 1960s and 1970s, many proposals came in front with great ideas. A proposal was presented for building the Severn Barrage, which was supposed to produce 8.6 giga watts, and was to be constructed from the English coast to the Welsh coast over the Severn tidal estuary, with a supposed ability to produce 17 terra watts hour electrical energy per year (Elliott, p. 196).

Environmental factors

As with many other renewable energy power plants, they have no wave emissions in the process of their functioning, but the energy associated with the construction of the plant itself is done in such a manner that there are little associated emissions (Elliott, p. 210-214). Power plants using the waves for power generation may have the following impact on the environment:

Hydrodynamic environment: plants could act as coastal protection and changing patterns of sediment, which would require careful site selection.

Plants and artificial habitats: plants could attract people to different sea creatures.

Noise: This would come mainly from the turbines but these could be soundproofed.

Navigational hazards: in most devices visual and radar signals can be installed.

Visual Effects: this only occurs in plants of coastal and shallow water.

Leisure space, these plants form spaces and calm waters could make water sports (canoe, etc).

Conversion and transmission of energy: they may have visual and environmental impacts associated with the required lines to transmit electricity from the coast to the network (Elliott, p. 210-214).

Choosing the place carefully, many of these impacts may be small and easily reversible.

Parameters

Values

Emissions - CO2 (kg / TJ)

0

Emissions - SO2 ...