Wadden Sea islands may be first to benefit from tidal energy

If trials near the Wadden island of Ameland are successful, around 700 households on the island might be able to generate electricity from tidal energy by the end of this year.

Companies from the provinces of Friesland and Groningen have invested millions of dollars in several tidal energy projects, the first of which has entered the trial phase off the coast of the island.

Tidal energy company Seaqurrent has developed a Tidal Kite The kite is connected to a cable, which in turn is connected to a generator. The movement of the kite, similar to that of a kite in the sky, generates electricity, which is then transmitted from the generator to land.

The plan is in line with Ameland’s plan to become CO2 neutral by 2035, 15 years ahead of the rest of the country. Many residents of the island already own shares in a local solar park on the island. The local government said a wind farm was not an option because the turbines would damage the island’s natural beauty.

Seaqurrent also received a €2.5 million subsidy from a government-run sustainable development fund Wadden Fund The company hopes that this trial will attract more investment and that a tidal kite park will be built in the future.

Organisers say the best place for a kite park would be the Wadden Sea because of the strong tidal currents between islands there, but much will depend on the impact the kites have on the environment.

“The Wadden Sea itself is already very busy and we don’t know what effect this will have on nature,” biologist Bart Beijloos told the broadcaster. not specifiedHe said if room was to be made for tidal power, other unsustainable activities would have to stop, such as gas extraction and fishing.

Seaqurrent co-founder Maarten Berkhout said the impact of kites on marine life was part of the trial. “This area is home to vulnerable seals and birds, and we will be able to see how our presence affects their behavior and living environment,” he said.

Tidal power costs about 16 cents per kilowatt-hour more than solar or wind power, but tidal proponents say its supply is less affected by weather and therefore more stable.