Tidal power station generator#

The project highlights the ease with which tidal power stations can be retrofitted, further adding to the longevity of the technology.

Tidal power station generator#

A sixth 700kW generator was added in 2007 and an older generator was upgraded by 200kW in 2014, taking total capacity to 4.1MW. Initially it had a capacity of 3.2MW formed of five generators. Located in the East China Sea outside the city of Wenling, Jiangxia first produced energy in 1980. Jiangxia tidal power station was the first tidal power station in Asia. The local government of Nova Scotia has stated its hopes to increase tidal power capacity to 300MW by 2020 with projects in the Bay of Fundy. Similar to the Sihwa farm, Annapolis is built on a pre-existing causeway from the 1960s, allowing the local community to benefit from structures that may have otherwise been wasted. It currently produces 50GWh annually, enough to power 4,500 homes. The Annapolis Royal Generating Station on the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, is the third largest tidal farm in the world, but has a much smaller capacity of the previous tidal stations producing just 20MW.Ĭonstruction began in 1980 and it began producing energy in 1984.

Annapolis Royal Generating Station, Canada The farm cost $382 per kwh and produces electricity at a range from $0.04 to $0.12 per kwh.ĭespite suggestions that France could overtake the UK as Europe’s leader in tidal energy, France has not added to the La Rance tidal farm, expanding its nuclear energy efforts instead. La Rance cost $115m and the time of construction, which adjusted for inflation is $918m in 2019 and has a capacity of 240MW. As such it proves that tidal has a very long life expectancy, while wind turbines for example currently only last for around 20 years. La Rance is an important example as it is the oldest tidal power station in the world, and at 53 this year it is still a reliable source of power with no end date in sight. La Rance tidal power station is the oldest tidal power station and the first producer of renewable energy in Europe, built in 1966. Other larger projects at Incheon Bay (1320MW) and Garorim (520MW) have also been considered. South Korea had previously built a small tidal power farm at Uldomok (1.5MW) at a cost of $10m in 2009, with expansion to 90MW planned. It is formed of 10 generators, which produce a total energy capacity of over 550GWh annually. As such, it has been estimated that Sihwa cost $117 per kwh, while it produces electricity at $0.02 per kwh. The cost per kilowatt hour (kwh) of the plant is worked out by multiplying the construction cost and the capacity. The Sihwa tidal power station is the largest and most expensive tidal installation in the world, with an installed capacity of 254MW and according to IRENA cost $298m to build in 2011.