Nash S., Phoenix A.

Tidal current turbines have the potential to make a considerable contribution to renewable energy supplies. However, the potential for utility-scale deployments will depend not only on the economics of power generation, but also on the likely hydro-environmental effects of deployments. These may include physical, acoustic, chemical, and electromagnetic effects but the effects of energy removal are considered most significant. This paper presents a review of the available published literature on the hydro-environmental effects of energy removal of tidal turbines. The review focused on those studies that attempted to quantify the magnitudes of any energy removal effects. As might be expected, the reported magnitudes of effects varied widely but there is a strong positive correlation with the level of energy removal. Indeed, the literature indicates that for most suitable deployment sites there exists a safe level of energy removal that would be both economical and environmentally sustainable. The authors recommend the application of combined hydrodynamic-biogeochemical models on a site-by-site basis to help determine the significance of any hydrodynamic impacts and therefore the appropriate sustainable levels of energy removal.

DOI :  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.289Get rights and content