Cardiff firm making waves with tidal energy

Tidal Energy, a Cardiff-based firm specialising in renewable energy has come up with an innovative technology for the production of electricity from tides. It uses a combination of wind turbine and ship propeller systems and has a capacity of producing one thousand and two kilowatts of electricity. The DeltaStream generator possesses 3 turbines which rest at the bottom of the ocean in a triangle-like shape.

Tidal Energy’s major shareholder, Eco2, is looking to raise six million pounds and has committed to providing one million pounds from its coffers.

Tidal Energy’s project director, Chris Williams, admitted that they were targeting the Wales market and were scouting for suitable sites to install their innovation not only in Wales but in the rest of the United Kingdom. The project director further admitted that the manpower necessary for their business was in good supply in Wales and they were expecting to create one hundred jobs in seven years’ time.

The firm has already conducted trials of its prototype at Cleddau in Pembrokeshire. The firm has scheduled the commercial production of its innovation towards the end of the year.

Among the institutions that Tidal Energy partnered with in the early stages was Cardiff University whose contribution to the project was designing the fluid dynamics of the tidal energy turbine. Another institution of higher learning which is still engaged in the project is Cranfield University in England which is involved in the polishing and refining of the blade design for the turbine.

www.tidalenergyltd.com