energy
Tidal power plant made from plastic waste to be tested in the English Channel
Spiralis Energy’s tidal power plant uses an Archimedean screw as the basis for energy generation
© Spiralis Energy / PR
The British company Spiralis Energy wants to build a tidal power plant that will be as environmentally friendly as possible right from the start.
The principle of a tidal power plant is very simple: tidal range is used to drive turbines in order to generate electricity from the regular movement of the sea. This is not a panacea for the population’s growing energy needs, but it is a useful and environmentally friendly contribution to energy supply.
The British start-up Spiralis Energy wants to test a new type of power plant in the English Channel that would ideally produce 500 kilowatts The young company promises the lowest possible energy costs and the world’s smallest space requirement measured in kilowatts per kilometer with the project called “Axial Skelter”.
A tidal power plant from the 3D printer
The basis of the “Axial Skelter” is a so-called Archimedean screw. The principle is familiar from conveyor systems, known here as a screw pump.
The tidal power plant is designed to generate energy using the screw’s natural movement of the sea. The actual conversion of kinetic energy into electricity is to take place above the sea surface in order to keep the maintenance and operation of the plant as simple as possible.
The screw itself is as environmentally friendly as possible, according to an article by “Interesting Engineering“. It will be produced using a 3D printer and will use recycled plastic. A modular design will allow individual parts to be replaced. This means that if something goes wrong, the entire screw will not have to be replaced.
Tests in the English Channel
In the next step, Spiralis Energy wants to test two of these power plants in the English Channel. Feeding in electricity is not yet planned – first the company wants to verify the data from the simulation and better understand the tidal range off the island of Alderney. The “BBC” writes that if the test series is successful, Spiralis Energy will consider a location on the small island in order to then begin generating energy.
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However, permission is still pending. The island’s responsible authority was very interested, but first requested a detailed description of the facility.
Spiral Energy is currently looking for investors. “Due to the numerous failures in the tidal industry over the past 20 years, raising capital in the markets is very difficult – so we need your help to achieve #NetZero. We have the technology and the know-how – we just need the money to complete full-scale testing and deployment,” the company says on its website.
Great Britain tried several times to set up huge tidal power stations on the country’s coasts. However, both the world’s largest plant, Severn Barrage, and the smaller plant, Swansea Bay, were never put into operation, mainly due to financial problems.