Discover the future of sustainable energy as Japanese energy group and Singaporean company team up to test tidal turbines as a revolutionary replacement for diesel power.
Kyushu Electric Power, a Japanese energy group, is set to participate in a groundbreaking test that explores the use of ocean currents as a viable alternative to diesel fuel. Singaporean renewable energy company Bluenergy Solutions will lead the pilot project, which will take place on Pulau Satumu, an island located 14 kilometres south of Singapore‘s main island. Kyuden Mirai Energy and Kyuden International, both subsidiaries of Kyushu Power group, will also be involved in the initiative.
Bluenergy Solutions will deploy their innovative tidal turbines to power Raffles Lighthouse, a structure currently reliant on diesel. The test is scheduled to commence shortly and will continue for a duration of six months. A total of four tide turbines, each weighing 500 kilogrammes, will be affixed to a 10-metre-by-30-metre floating platform, positioned 3 metres beneath the water’s surface. These turbines boast an impressive output capacity of 7 kilowatts individually.
For Kyushu Electric group, headquartered in Fukuoka, this marks their first venture into overseas projects of this nature, having previously generated tidal power exclusively in Japan‘s Nagasaki prefecture. The group will contribute their expertise by providing guidance on remote monitoring of output, turbine rotation, and oceanic conditions.
Isolated islands often exhibit swift tidal currents, making them ideal locations for generating electricity. The regularity of these ebbs and flows allows for precise power generation predictions up to 18 years in advance, according to Yoshihiro Wada, a project planner at Kyuden Mirai Energy. By combining tidal energy with solar and wind power, the variability of weather-dependent renewable sources can be mitigated. Wada believes this synergy compensates for the shortcomings of each individual energy source.
Should the results of the six-month test period prove promising, the tidal turbines may continue to provide sustainable power beyond the experimental phase. Kyuden Mirai Energy possesses considerable experience in remotely monitoring tidal turbines, employing camera systems to oversee a 500 kW installation situated approximately 160 km offshore from the Nagasaki coast.
Related Articles
Japan to Expand Homegrown GPS Network Michibiki Quasi-Zenith Satellite System
Japan Researching How to Unleash the Potential of Solar Power from Space
6 Lessons the World Can Take From APAC’s Renewable Energy Success
