The origin of tidal energy dates back to the 1960s, when France created the first tidal power plant, which is still in operation today. Today, this type of energy is still generated, although in very small quantities, since the available technologies do not allow for more efficiency to be obtained from this type of energy. Tidal energy has great advantages, the most important of which is that it is a clean and renewable energy, but it also has some disadvantages that mean that it cannot be used to a great extent to replace conventional energies.
If you want to know more about tidal energy, also known as marine energy or ocean energy , continue reading this article from Green Ecology in which we will discuss its characteristics and its advantages and disadvantages.
What is tidal energy and its characteristics
Tidal energy, marine energy or ocean energy is energy obtained by taking advantage of the movement of the tides . This energy is used by turbines that end up moving the mechanical assembly of an alternator to produce electrical energy.
Another of the main characteristics of tidal energy is that it is a clean and renewable energy . We recommend that you learn more about renewable and non-renewable energies: examples and summary with this other post from EcologíaVerde.
Thus, as a summary, we can say that the main characteristics of this energy are that it is a renewable and clean energy that is obtained from the movement of the tides, that is, when they rise and fall.
Advantages of tidal or marine energy
Tidal energy has several advantages and some of them are really interesting and beneficial. Below are the advantages of tidal energy :
- We are dealing with a type of renewable energy , since the tides are the result of the gravitational force of the moon and the sun on the Earth. Therefore, it is an unlimited energy, which can also be obtained at any time of the year .
- It is a clean energy , its use does not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Learn more about what clean or green energies are here.
- Its facilities are silent, thanks to which there is no noise pollution.
- It can be said that it is a predictable energy , thanks to scientific advances we know when high tides and low tides will occur, making it possible to know the power that will be generated. Thanks to this, the design of the systems can be focused so that they are adequate with respect to the expected potential.
- It is also an efficient energy thanks to the density of water, therefore, energy can be obtained by running the turbines at low speed.
- Once the facilities are built, they are easy to maintain and energy generation is economically affordable.
Disadvantages of tidal energy
Tidal energy also has drawbacks, some of which are determined by the environmental impact of building the infrastructures needed to exploit it. This drawback is also common in the exploitation of other renewable energies such as wind energy . Within the environmental impact derived from the infrastructures, there are different drawbacks. Thus, these are the disadvantages of tidal energy with respect to its infrastructures :
- They can pose a great risk to the plant and animal species that inhabit that territory.
- It affects the salinity and quality of the water.
- Alteration of marine habitats, since the large dimensions of the infrastructures modify the area where they are built.
Other disadvantages of tidal energy are:
- Visual impact since the structures are built near the coasts, which is where tidal differences occur.
- The energy generated is more expensive because, as it is a new type of energy, it cannot compete with those that have been established for longer, such as those obtained from fossil fuels or nuclear power plants.
- The design and construction of its infrastructures entails a high cost.
- Although it is an energy that can be obtained throughout the year, it is not possible to do so in all parts of the world since in some places the tides do not have the necessary force to generate electricity.
With all the advantages and disadvantages that this type of energy presents, it must be assessed in order to replace conventional energies, since clean and renewable energies are needed.
Tidal energy and wave energy
Hydroelectric energy is the energy obtained from the kinetic and potential energy of water movements such as currents, waves and tides. This is why we find differences in the way energy is obtained depending on the nature of these movements.
We have already mentioned that tidal energy is generated by taking advantage of the tides, but there is another type of energy that is often confused and people make the mistake of thinking that they are the same, this is wave energy or also called wave energy . The reality is that they are not the same. For example, among the tidal energy plants in Spain there is one in Mutriku, in Guipúzcua, however, this plant is intended to use wave energy. So, what is wave energy? This energy uses the movement of the waves (you can watch a video on this topic at the end of this article) to be able to produce electrical energy and if you want to know it better we invite you to read this other article from EcologíaVerde.
