This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/sci/tech/8400441.stm
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| New drive to harness wave power | New drive to harness wave power |
| (38 minutes later) | |
| By David Shukman Environment correspondent, BBC News Advertisement | |
| Meet green monsters of the deep | Meet green monsters of the deep |
| In a bleakly beautiful island landscape, some strange new sights are emerging. | In a bleakly beautiful island landscape, some strange new sights are emerging. |
| In the turbulent waters off the shores of Orkney, in the far north of Scotland, an array of bizarre machines is being deployed in a drive to harness the power of the sea. | In the turbulent waters off the shores of Orkney, in the far north of Scotland, an array of bizarre machines is being deployed in a drive to harness the power of the sea. |
| The European Marine Energy Centre at Stromness is playing host to nearly a dozen experimental devices designed to capture the energy of the tides and the waves. | The European Marine Energy Centre at Stromness is playing host to nearly a dozen experimental devices designed to capture the energy of the tides and the waves. |
| It is too early to tell if any of them will work on a large scale or ever succeed commercially. | It is too early to tell if any of them will work on a large scale or ever succeed commercially. |
| But during lucky breaks in Orkney's fearsome winter weather, I got the chance to see two of the devices in action. | But during lucky breaks in Orkney's fearsome winter weather, I got the chance to see two of the devices in action. |
| There is the "Oyster", a giant flap twice the height of a double-decker bus which swings back and forth with the waves. | There is the "Oyster", a giant flap twice the height of a double-decker bus which swings back and forth with the waves. |
| There is huge potential - absolutely huge amounts of energy out there Neil KermodeEuropean Marine Energy Centre | There is huge potential - absolutely huge amounts of energy out there Neil KermodeEuropean Marine Energy Centre |
| Every time the flap moves, the action compresses hydraulic pumps which force water through a pipe to the shore where it drives a generator. | Every time the flap moves, the action compresses hydraulic pumps which force water through a pipe to the shore where it drives a generator. |
| As we approach through a heavy swell, the bright yellow top of the flap rears up above the surface of the sea before being plunged back down by the next wave. | As we approach through a heavy swell, the bright yellow top of the flap rears up above the surface of the sea before being plunged back down by the next wave. |
| The machine is the work of the Scottish firm Aquamarine Power. Operations manager Frances Tierney, on board with us, says that its first few weeks have proved it can work. | The machine is the work of the Scottish firm Aquamarine Power. Operations manager Frances Tierney, on board with us, says that its first few weeks have proved it can work. |
| "It was quite nerve-wracking installing it but we're really pleased with how the Oyster has performed so far." | "It was quite nerve-wracking installing it but we're really pleased with how the Oyster has performed so far." |
| The company's hope is to set up "farms" of Oysters, with 2MW of electricity being generated for every three machines, according to company officials. | The company's hope is to set up "farms" of Oysters, with 2MW of electricity being generated for every three machines, according to company officials. |
| 'Huge potential' | 'Huge potential' |
| Matthias Haag, Aquamarine's chief operating officer, told me that, in theory, 1,500 Oysters could yield one gigawatt (1GW) of electricity - about the output of a typical fossil fuel power station. | Matthias Haag, Aquamarine's chief operating officer, told me that, in theory, 1,500 Oysters could yield one gigawatt (1GW) of electricity - about the output of a typical fossil fuel power station. |
| "Our studies have identified sites where the waves mean we could generate 5GW of electricity - it's got huge potential." | "Our studies have identified sites where the waves mean we could generate 5GW of electricity - it's got huge potential." |
| Another approach is to harness the power of the tides. Between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, the Pentland Firth sees high-speed currents surging from the Atlantic to the North Sea and back again. | Another approach is to harness the power of the tides. Between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, the Pentland Firth sees high-speed currents surging from the Atlantic to the North Sea and back again. |
| These can reach more than eight knots - nearly 10 miles per hour - and the flows last six hours in each direction. | These can reach more than eight knots - nearly 10 miles per hour - and the flows last six hours in each direction. |
| In a notoriously fast-flowing channel known as the Fall of Warness, the Irish firm OpenHydro has deployed an enormous undersea turbine - a fan with a diameter of 6m. | In a notoriously fast-flowing channel known as the Fall of Warness, the Irish firm OpenHydro has deployed an enormous undersea turbine - a fan with a diameter of 6m. |
| The Oyster wave power machine swings back and forth with the waves | The Oyster wave power machine swings back and forth with the waves |
| Fitted between black stilts, this huge device sits near the sea-bed right in the path of the currents. | Fitted between black stilts, this huge device sits near the sea-bed right in the path of the currents. |
| As the waters surge, the massive blades start spinning and drive a generating system fitted within the machine's frame. The electricity is then piped ashore. | As the waters surge, the massive blades start spinning and drive a generating system fitted within the machine's frame. The electricity is then piped ashore. |
| During our visit, the turbine is lifted out of the sea so we can film it. Rising slowly from the choppy grey waters, it looks like something from a Bond film. | During our visit, the turbine is lifted out of the sea so we can film it. Rising slowly from the choppy grey waters, it looks like something from a Bond film. |
| Operations manager Sue Barr tells me that this is the company's fourth version of the turbine. The plan is for a 10m-diameter device which could generate 1MW of power. | Operations manager Sue Barr tells me that this is the company's fourth version of the turbine. The plan is for a 10m-diameter device which could generate 1MW of power. |
| "We're great fans of all forms of renewable energy but tidal is the only one that's predictable. We predict it with the sun and the moon - that's a very persuasive argument for investment." | "We're great fans of all forms of renewable energy but tidal is the only one that's predictable. We predict it with the sun and the moon - that's a very persuasive argument for investment." |
| Winners and losers | Winners and losers |
| Other marine schemes involve systems of underwater propellers to spin in the tides or giant "snakes" whose joints move with the waves and generate power. | Other marine schemes involve systems of underwater propellers to spin in the tides or giant "snakes" whose joints move with the waves and generate power. |
| There is no doubting the ambition. But this is a watery, green equivalent to the start of the steam age: lots of clever ideas but the inevitability that there will be winners and losers. | There is no doubting the ambition. But this is a watery, green equivalent to the start of the steam age: lots of clever ideas but the inevitability that there will be winners and losers. |
| The technologies are in their infancy, the costs at this stage are very high and still unknown are the practical implications of deploying hundreds or thousands of machines at sea. | The technologies are in their infancy, the costs at this stage are very high and still unknown are the practical implications of deploying hundreds or thousands of machines at sea. |
| There are many ideas for capturing the power of tides and waves | There are many ideas for capturing the power of tides and waves |
| And unresolved are the costly and controversial challenges of having to run new cables into the National Grid and then onto major population centres. | And unresolved are the costly and controversial challenges of having to run new cables into the National Grid and then onto major population centres. |
| Neil Kermode of the European Marine Energy Centre is keen to be realistic about the prospects and not to hype expectations. | Neil Kermode of the European Marine Energy Centre is keen to be realistic about the prospects and not to hype expectations. |
| State funding, relatively meagre until now, is being increased and private funds are being raised too. | State funding, relatively meagre until now, is being increased and private funds are being raised too. |
| "We're at the stage of needing to see which of these technologies works and whether they can be scaled up. That requires steady investment. | "We're at the stage of needing to see which of these technologies works and whether they can be scaled up. That requires steady investment. |
| "Look what the Danes did with wind: investments year after year paid off and now they earn billions in exports. | "Look what the Danes did with wind: investments year after year paid off and now they earn billions in exports. |
| "There is huge potential - absolutely huge amounts of energy out there - in fact we don't know how much but it is epic." | "There is huge potential - absolutely huge amounts of energy out there - in fact we don't know how much but it is epic." |
| Mr Kermode's concern is that funding remains consistent so that the different systems can be developed - and given a chance to prove themselves - in the UK. | Mr Kermode's concern is that funding remains consistent so that the different systems can be developed - and given a chance to prove themselves - in the UK. |
| "There is an absolute risk that we could fail to develop the technology that gets the energy out of the sea. | "There is an absolute risk that we could fail to develop the technology that gets the energy out of the sea. |
| "If we're not careful we could end up buying this technology from overseas later on, which would be silly." | "If we're not careful we could end up buying this technology from overseas later on, which would be silly." |
| With its island heritage and experience of North Sea oil and gas, Britain should be ideally placed to pioneer marine energy. | With its island heritage and experience of North Sea oil and gas, Britain should be ideally placed to pioneer marine energy. |
| As we leave in the dark of mid-afternoon, a storm drives rain across the runway. I think of the waves pounding the brave new machines out at sea. | As we leave in the dark of mid-afternoon, a storm drives rain across the runway. I think of the waves pounding the brave new machines out at sea. |
| Are they the first foot-soldiers of an impending energy revolution or costly forays into the deep that may never really succeed? The next few years will tell. | Are they the first foot-soldiers of an impending energy revolution or costly forays into the deep that may never really succeed? The next few years will tell. |