Climate Crisis: Are we doing enough?

[Psamathe]

I still feel we are not exploring tidal power adequately, not as "the answer" but as a contributory supply. Not so keen on barrages as they do somewhat devastate the environment, more turbines in tidal flows. It's very reliable (as in doesn't vary throughout year or with weather), peak generation times offset around the country. I appreciate it has challenges and will only be a contributor but we have a lot of coastline.

Ian

 

[First Aspect]

I still feel we are not exploring tidal power adequately, not as "the answer" but as a contributory supply. Not so keen on barrages as they do somewhat devastate the environment, more turbines in tidal flows. It's very reliable (as in doesn't vary throughout year or with weather), peak generation times offset around the country. I appreciate it has challenges and will only be a contributor but we have a lot of coastline.

Ian

There is insufficient capacity for it to be anything other than a minor contribution to an energy mix. The industry itself estimates it could account for 11% of demand.

Tidal lagoons are a potential additional option, but you need to decide which estuaries to wreck and how much of them to preserve for future generations.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I still feel we are not exploring tidal power adequately, not as "the answer" but as a contributory supply. Not so keen on barrages as they do somewhat devastate the environment, more turbines in tidal flows. It's very reliable (as in doesn't vary throughout year or with weather), peak generation times offset around the country. I appreciate it has challenges and will only be a contributor but we have a lot of coastline.

Ian

They are explored. They just don't tend to work that well at the moment and are very expensive. That said, offshore wind was once expensive and difficult.

 

[First Aspect]

They are explored. They just don't tend to work that well at the moment and are very expensive. That said, offshore wind was once expensive and difficult.

The main issues are that the working parts go under water in a necessarily quite harsh marine environment. So they need to be engineered to withstand that at all. The cost also reflects high maintenance requirements.

I cannot see it ever being cheap energy as such, but I can the cost being justified by the value that reliability adds.

It is also, needless to say, not entirely "on demand" and it's peak capacity does not necessarily reflect half time in the cup final.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

This sums up a lot which is still very wrong about the situation, metaphorically or otherwise:

 

[Psamathe]

There is insufficient capacity for it to be anything other than a minor contribution to an energy mix. The industry itself estimates it could account for 11% of demand.

I'd view 11% of reliable completely predictable genersation a worthwhile contribution.

Plus developing it would make UK a "world leader" in the technology (given that we are really just "users" of solar, wind, nuclear, etc.). Politicians keep talking about UK taking leadership and tidal might be that opportunity?

Ian

 

[First Aspect]

I'd view 11% of reliable completely predictable genersation a worthwhile contribution.

Plus developing it would make UK a "world leader" in the technology (given that we are really just "users" of solar, wind, nuclear, etc.). Politicians keep talking about UK taking leadership and tidal might be that opportunity?

Ian

Sure, but demand is set to double and that current 11% will be a grossly optimistic estimate based on exploiting the resource fully. Technology may enable more resource to be economically exploited over time, but (and this is just an opinion) it still looks like mid single digit % to me.

Probably worth doing to an extent, but not a silver bullet to plug the holes in renewables output from wind and solar.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I'd view 11% of reliable completely predictable genersation a worthwhile contribution.

Plus developing it would make UK a "world leader" in the technology (given that we are really just "users" of solar, wind, nuclear, etc.). Politicians keep talking about UK taking leadership and tidal might be that opportunity?

Ian

The UK is a world leader in many aspects of offshore wind as well as the finance of all forms of renewable energy.