There is a treasure hidden in the depths of the sea, invisible but powerful: no, I'm not talking about pearls or ancient wrecks (there has been too much talk about this in recent weeks), but about energy. The Brazilian startup TidalWatt invented a mini tidal turbine which, despite its small size, is capable of producing power comparable to that of a wind turbine 180 meters in diameter.
A leap forward for renewable energies
Currently, around 80% of the world's energy needs are still covered by fossil energy. Reducing this percentage is essential to limit greenhouse emissions and accelerate the transition towards sustainable energy.
In this context, TidalWatt's mini turbine represents a significant step forward.
Wind turbines, both onshore and offshore, are often criticized for their impact on wildlife, especially birds. The solution proposed by TidalWatt solves this problem: its mini underwater turbine, of moderate size, avoids any risk of collision for birds (and obviously respects marine biodiversity, or we'd be back to business).
In this respect, Tidalwatt promises not only to respect wildlife, but to support it: the UCEC Current Energy Collection Unit, in addition to being completely harmless to marine life, makes trawling impracticable and becomes a real ecological sanctuary, encouraging the creation of artificial barriers.
A giant submarine
Don't let its size fool you: this mini tidal turbine, with a diameter of just 3 meters, is capable of producing 5 MW of electricity by spinning at a speed of 1,87 knots. This power is significantly higher than that of a wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 180 m. However, the company has a range of turbines ranging from 1,2 meters to 7,5 meters in diameter.
And the great thing is that it can produce energy for 90% of the time, compared to only 30% for wind turbines. The wave motion is practically always there.
Mini turbine, big future
Secondo Mauricio Queiroz, founder and CEO of TidalWatt, the oceans are the only reliable source of renewable energy because the currents are constant and predictable. This is why he is working to exploit this resource in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
The company said this new 5 MW mini turbine could power a significant number of homes in Brazil. A number in the order of tens of thousands, so to speak.
It seems like a nice dive to me: and not just any dive, but one that could be a game-changer in the renewable energy game.
