The Netherlands is betting on getting energy from under the sea: Innovation in tidal energy

This innovative form of electricity generation Take advantage of the ocean currents produced by the tides to create sustainable electricity.

So far, the production of sustainable energy In the Netherlands, the focus had been mainly on solar panels and wind turbinesHowever, if all goes according to plan, the island of Ameland will become a pioneer in this new tidal technology this year.

Equinox has developed a turbine resembling an underwater windmill, while SeaQurrent has created a underwater kite which spins in a figure eight around a generator on the seabed. This aluminium kite, designed to generate electricity, will be launched near the south-west tip of Ameland.

Maarten Berkhout, General Manager of SeaQurrent, explains: “There is a cable that goes to Ameland, which means that We will be able to supply the electricity this kite will generate to the island later this year.“The generator, connected to the kite by a cable, will be installed later this week.

The generation capacity of this technology is impressive. According to Erwin de Boer, energy advisor to the municipality of Ameland, “The kite will generate electricity for approximately 600 homes.. That’s equivalent to Hollum or Nes, which are our two largest villages.”

The ecological implications of this possible tidal power park

However, for the Seawater energy For this to be profitable, a complete park would need to be built on the seabed, similar to offshore wind farms. This prospect is causing concern for organisations such as the Wadden Association.

Bert Beijloos, a biologist at the Wadden Association, warns: “The reason for our concern is that the Wadden Sea is already very crowded. We don’t know what effect this would have on nature, among other things, and other activities would have to move to make room for it.”

In response to these concerns, Berkhout from SeaQurrent responds: “Those people are right. What we have now is a kind of bucket of human activities in the Wadden area. But it is also mostly filled with unsustainable activities. We need new options, Sustainable options to replace existing unsustainable activities“.

The development of the Seawater energy represents an important step towards a more sustainable energy future in the Netherlands. As technology advances, it will be crucial to find a balance between energy innovation and the preservation of the delicate marine ecosystem.

With projects like this, the Netherlands continues to be at the forefront of innovation in renewable energydemonstrating that the power of the sea could be a significant part of the solution to the global energy challenge.