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Tidal Wave Power

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Catch The Waves!

Did you know there are other ways to harvest the power of water than traditional hydro power?

This video tell us about harnessing the power of tidal flow. Hydro barrages are dams that collect power from the high tide until there is sufficient potential energy for power generation. At that point the water is forced through turbines released during low tide.

There may be reasons to consider carefully if we want these systems in our oceans, such as potential damage to wildlife.

However, it is a renewable energy that is far less damaging than fossil fuels or nuclear power, so it is worth examining and knowing more about.

In La Rance, France there is a hydro barrage that was built in 1966 that powers 240,000 homes. The technology has developed since then, and this video shows some new and exciting ways to catch the waves.

There are now "wave farms", like one off the coast of Portugal that delivers power to 20,000 homes. If this kind of system were installed in 472 square miles of ocean it could deliver power to 24.5 million homes.

--Bibi Farber

This video was produced by The History Channel