By: Jessica Robertson
The power of the ocean is
undeniable. With new technology, that power could be harnessed in such a way
that seashells and seafood won’t be our greatest export from the watery giant for
much longer.
Renewable energy falls into the
top-priority category among global sustainability issues; the more avenues we
have for garnering clean, renewable energy, the better for our planet. The
ocean is full of frighteningly powerful, high-energy water, and turning that
power into electricity would be emission-free, and genius. Good thing the
plans, though in their infancy, are underway!
Some of the biggest names in the
energy industry are teaming up to turn these ideas into reality. Lockheed Martin,
Scottish PowerRenewables, MeyGen, UC Berkeley, and the US Navy are just a few
of the familiar names on these impressive projects. Five types of
power-generating machines are under testing, either in the lab or in the open
seas, currently.
Two of the projects, particularly,
are standouts. The largest wave energy project, already in the water off the
coasts of Australia, consists of special buoys anchored to the ocean floor; as
waves roll, the buoy moves with the wave and the anchor stays intact, causing the
tension to power a hydraulic pump. The energy moves through wires to the coast,
where it is stored; one single buoy’s energy can power an astounding maximum of
10,000 homes. While that number is staggering, the most effective prototype, it
seems, is known as the magic carpet. Intended to be placed off the coast of
California, on the sea floor, the giant mats absorb the energy that is normally
dissipated into the sand on the bottom of the ocean. Careful placement of the mats,
avoiding coral reefs and other marine habitats, could also create “safe zones”
to protect harbors during wild storms and prevent erosion due to their ability
to absorb up to 90% of waves’ energy.
Just a one square-meter patch of the mat creates enough power for two
homes. Open-ocean trials are scheduled to begin in April 2016.
One familiar approach, designed similarly to wind turbines, underwater
turbines rely on the tidal pull of the water rather than waves, turning the
arms of the machine and creating a steady source of energy. Water turbines,
though, present a significant threat to marine life that may be hurt by the
many moving mechanical parts; efforts are being made to prevent any collateral
damage to the environment. Another proposal, called the Sea Serpent, is at work
floating off the coasts of Scotland, where jointed segments flex along with the
movement of the waves to power hydraulic pumps and store energy that is
delivered to the shore by underwater cables.
All the models must be designed to
survive the ferocious storms that the ocean can deliver, and the fifth model
banks on its simplicity to survive. As the low profile machine floats atop the
water, it funnels high-pressure water through a pump to shore, where the
majority of the machinery remains to convert the water pressure into
electricity. This design has already proven itself in its two-and-a-half-year
lifetime working on the seas.
Each of the projects has its
challenges, but the real vision of clean and renewable energy helps overcome
the hurdles that arise with the advent of new technology.
