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New Technology Alert: Electricity from Ocean Currents
by Devon G
Solar Energy News
source: Solar Today News Network

Vancouver, BC •• April 27, 2000 •• SolarQuest® iNet News Service •• A new clean energy technology, representing over 20 years of Canadian engineering, provides a welcome addition to the world's renewable energy potential. Blue Energy Canada is commercializing the Davis Hydro turbine, a device that generates electricity from ocean currents. Six prototypes (up to 100 kW) have been built and tested, multiple independent assessments have verified technical feasibility, and private investment groups have approved financing based on economic viability.

Blue Energy has recently received a firm funding commitment for US$2.8 billion to construct a large-scale ocean power plant in the Philippines. The 2200 MW "Dalupiri" project is scheduled to begin within the year.

The Blue Energy Power System overcomes the problems of traditional ocean technologies by being both cost effective (US$1200 per kW capacity) and ecologically benign. The "tidal fence" structures are larger arrays of slow moving vertical-axis turbines which allow water and marine life to flow through freely and safely. The system is not dependent upon tidal amplitude, making it viable in many more locations than traditional ocean barrage systems.

One of the primary advantages of this technology is the energy density. While solar and wind systems are well-suited for remote off grid locations, ocean energy is ideal for large-scale developments in the multiple gigawatt range. Sea water is 832 times as dense as air, providing a 5 knot ocean current with more kinetic energy than a 350 km/h wind. The Blue Energy Power System acts as a series of underwater windmills exposed to daily hurricane forces.

It is also one of the largest untapped renewable energy resource on the planet. Preliminary surveys show a global potential of over 450,000 MW, representing a market of more than US$550 billion. In areas where detailed examinations have been conducted, the discovery of additional sites suggests that our actual resource is considerably larger.

Blue Energy's primary interest is in deploying this technology as soon as possible, in as many places as possible, and are looking for partners, investors, and people who want to jump on-board and help make this happen.

For more information, visit

http://www.bluenergy.com/

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