He goes on: “Power is associated with velocity cubed – so, a small increase in velocity gives a massive increase in power.”

It can generate up to 10 times the amount of power as an equivalent static turbine.” This movement allows the turbine at the nose of the kite to capture energy by traversing more of the water column. Positioned in a tidal flow, the kite flies in a horizontal figure of eight. What are tidal kites?įrost said: “The same principles apply to a tidal kite as a stunt kite or kite surfer. It was the first project in the world to measure the environmental impact of tidal kites. The project, led by Dr Louise Kregting, assesses the environmental interactions of a novel tidal turbine, the Deep Green, developed by Swedish firm Minesto. The Marine Research Group at QUB has led and supported a number of tidal energy projects in Strangford Lough, most recently the EU-funded H2020 project PowerKite. “We have obvious academic capabilities here as well,” said Dr Carwyn Frost, lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), and project lead on tidal research for the past three years. It’s vastly more accessible than a similar site in Orkney. With shallow water that’s protected from the mighty force of the exposed Atlantic coast, it is easier for engineers to build and deploy turbine systems.įurthermore, the site is within a short drive of two international airports, so engineers can travel here to maintain or repair systems quickly. The strait that exists between Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea, known as the Narrows, has both of these conditions. That can be tricky to find, since they have to be on the coast of an ocean. Tidal power stations rely upon relatively shallow water and they’re best placed in areas away from oceanic swell. Tides are also predictable, where wind isn’t. Tidal energy involves harnessing the predictable, and powerful, surge of water that happens twice a day with high and low tides.īecause water is denser than air, turbines below the surface of the water, in a strong flow, can generate more renewable power than wind turbines can.

The world’s first tidal power station was constructed here in 2007. We all know that Northern Ireland (NI) possesses amazing natural resources – the Giant’s Causeway, the North Antrim coast, the Mourne Mountains, just to name a few.īut it turns out that NI is home to one of Earth’s best sites for harnessing tidal energy – specifically, Strangford Lough.

TechWatch’s Emily McDaid talks to QUB’s Dr Carwyn Frost about tidal energy and how Northern Ireland could lead the way in renewables.

The Boiler Plot by Emily McDaid