This is the AK-1000 tidal turbine soon to be installed on the seabed off Scotland. Its 18-metre blades are expected to generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes, day in-day out. In many coastal areas, tidal power is by far the most reliable.
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, British Columbia has a fantastic site for this sort of turbine along the entire 120-km. narrows where Vancouver Island approaches the mainland. The narrows, stretching from well north of Sayward south all the way to Campbell River, are known for incredibly fast, even treacherous currents. In some spots even the orca wait patiently for slack tide before passing through.
The CEO of the company that makes the AK-1000, Timothy Cornelius, says tidal energy is now viable. "We are at the start of a new industrial boom, akin to the development of the North Sea oil and gas fields. If we receive the same support from all levels of government that the oil and gas industry received to make the North Sea the success that it is, then the future is very bright for marine power and even brighter for Scotland."
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