A predictable and unexploited energy source

In certain regions of the world, marine currents present sufficient flow speeds at seabed level to be used as a source of hydroelectric power (1.5 to 2 m/s). These velocities can only be generated by tidal currents.

Tides are cyclic and astronomical phenomena. They fluctuate on a daily basis throughout the year, but their range and times are entirely predictable (ephemerides).

The Channel and the North European coast, the North Pacific shoreline, the Philippines and Indonesia, northern Brazil and Patagonia are areas with a large tidal range that therefore have a high “hydrokinetic” potential. This energy is not diffuse but rather very local, restricted to a few sites, very near the coast.

In Europe, the United Kingdom has the greatest potential with over 10 GW of power to exploit, while France comes second with 3 to 5 GW.

On a global scale, the exploitable tidal power potential is estimated by some experts at around 100 GW of electric power.

River energy: a resource to be explored

The relief and hydrology of river basins can give rise to an exploitable hydrokinetic resource. The surface occupied by a turbine infrastructure would have less impact than “large hydropower” (conventional dams).