Voith Hydro has associated with Renetec, a Korea-based clean energy company, in completing the construction of the Seaturtle Tidal Park, an offshore tidal power production facility, currently being developed away from the Korean shore.
The tidal power generation park is designed to produce around 150 MW of clean energy and when completed it will meet the electric power requirements of around 100,000 homes. The South Korean coast offers a number of opportunities for the development of more such tidal power generation facilities.
According to Dr Roland Muench, Voith Hydro’s chief executive officer, both Voith and Renetec are engaged in developing a new tidal power generation technology that will play a vital role in the clean energy mix of the future. The companies have already developed a pilot unit for the installation.
A recent estimation on the possibilities of ocean power generation indicates the energy potential of the oceans. It maintains that around 15% of the power requirement of the world can be met through power generation utilizing tidal, wave or ocean currents. In the UK, the British Carbon Trust estimates meeting 20% of the nation’s power needs from ocean power while the U.S. indicates that it meets nearly 10% of its power requirement from such sources.