Marine energy or marine power (also sometimes referred to as ocean energy, ocean power, or marine and hydrokinetic energy) refers to the energy carried by ocean waves, tides, salinity, and ocean temperature differences. The movement of water in the world’s oceans creates a vast store of kinetic energy, or energy in motion. Some of this energy can be harnessed to generate electricity to power homes, transport and industries.
The term marine energy encompasses both wave power i.e. power from surface waves, and tidal power i.e. obtained from the kinetic energy of large bodies of moving water. Offshore wind power is not a form of marine energy, as wind power is derived from the wind, even if the wind turbines are placed over water.
The oceans have a tremendous amount of energy and are close to many if not most concentrated populations. Ocean energy has the potential of providing a substantial amount of new renewable energy around the world.
The UK is leading the way in wave and tidal (marine) power generation. The world’s first marine energy test facility was established in 2003 to kick start the development of the marine energy industry in the UK. Based in Orkney, Scotland, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has supported the deployment of more wave and tidal energy devices than at any other single site in the world. The centre was established with around £36 million of funding from the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Carbon Trust, UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, the European Union and Orkney Islands Council, and is the only accredited wave and tidal test centre for marine renewable energy in the world, suitable for testing a number of full-scale devices simultaneously in some of the harshest weather conditions while producing electricity to the national grid.
Clients that have tested at the centre include Aquamarine Power, AW Energy, Pelamis Wave Power, Seatricity, ScottishPower Renewables and Wello on the wave site, and Alstom (formerly Tidal Generation Ltd), ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Magallanes, Nautricity, Open Hydro, Scotrenewables Tidal Power, and Voith on the tidal site.
Picture Credit : Google
