What on earth is….Tidal Power?
Not to be confused with electricity generated from waves, tidal power uses the force of water driven by tidal currents to produce renewable energy. Tidal power benefits from the fact that tidal currents are very predictable (increasing and decreasing in a constant cycle) and that the water only moves in two general directions as the tide ebbs and flows. The technique of making energy from tides is one of the oldest, with tidal mills dating back to Middle Ages in Europe. The modern-day principle of making electricity from tidal power is much the same as wind power. In both cases the amount of energy produced depends on the speed and volume of the water or wind. Wind speeds are greater than tidal speeds but the density of water (about 1,000 times greater than air) makes tidal power as efficient as wind power. A tidal power station that was completed in 1966 still generates 240MW of power at St Malo, France. A smaller facility operates in Nova Scotia, Canada. Tidal energy is easier to con
