Tidal Turbines

Guernsey Electricity first began investigating renewable sources of energy for the island in 1996. At that stage a whole range of options were considered including: wind, solar power, tidal barrages and other emerging technologies.

 

After a great deal of research and consultation with experts in renewables, tidal turbines were identified as the technology best suited to our particular situation, providing the highest output of power for the least intrusion on the beauty of our island home.

 

Harnessing the waters around Guernsey as a clean and sustainable source of electricity has obvious benefits for the island. Tidal turbines will also take advantage of our unique position, surrounded by so many fast flowing marine currents, and although this technology is still in development, we believe it will contribute to locally generated electricity and further reduce our consumption of fossil fuels.

 

A Marine Current Turbine was installed in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland in April 2008, by December of that year it was generating 1.2MW, the highest level of power produced by a tidal stream system anywhere in the world.

 

As at March 2010, it remains the largest grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world, which in February 2010 had exceeded 1000 hours of commercial operation, the first tidal current energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone. The turbine has also achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered more than 900MWh of electricity into the National Grid.