SKF and Proteus Marine Renewables gear up for tidal energy revolution

<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20250801/1754025073118823.png" title="1754025073118823.png" alt="3.png"/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Two decades of experience Proteus is developing three-bladed devices with diameters ranging from up to 26 meters, with the precise specifications depending on the water depth and flow rates at the installation site. &quot;Water is more than 800 times denser than air, so tidal turbines don&#39;t need to be anywhere near as big as wind turbines,” says Blaxland. And because the turbines sit on the seabed, entirely underwater, our tidal stream turbines don&#39;t disrupt the landscape like wind or solar farms.”&nbsp;&nbsp; The company has found innovative solutions to many key problems in tidal stream power, including developing a foundation technology that allows machines to be installed or removed in a matter of minutes. Proteus is, says Blaxland, the first company in the world to lift a tidal stream turbine from one site and redeploy it in another.&nbsp; &quot;Our focus is making devices that are cost-effective,&quot; says Blaxland. &quot;In practical terms, that means keeping things as simple as possible while continually improving the design to eliminate risks.&quot;</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Tidal potential&nbsp; Under the influence of the Moon&#39;s gravity, tides ebb and flow across the world&#39;s oceans every day. In the open sea, the effect is small, causing the water surface to rise and fall by about a meter. However, tidal flows are amplified by coastal geography. Estuary entrances, narrow straits, and inlets and can see tidal ranges of over 10 meters, with peak flows of 6 knots (11 kph) or more.&nbsp; These tidal streams could become a valuable source of renewable energy. “A major advantage of tidal stream energy is its predictability,” says Blaxland. &quot;At a given site, we can tell a customer exactly how much energy they can expect to generate and when,&quot; he explains. &quot;That&#39;s something you can&#39;t do with wind or solar power.&quot;&nbsp; Combining tidal stream power generation with short-term energy storage could provide a significant source of reliable &quot;baseload&quot; electricity. &quot;Validated estimates suggest that there is about 100 gigawatts of exploitable, near-shore tidal power around the world, with 15 gigawatts in Europe,&quot; says Blaxland.&nbsp; In the longer term, Proteus technology could move further offshore to exploit the currents that flow deep in the world&#39;s ocean waters. &quot;Deep water currents could provide a compelling renewable energy alternative for some island sites,&quot; says Blaxland. &quot;And deep water offers a total potential about ten times larger than shallow water sites. Together, they could provide a terawatt of predictable, reliable renewable energy.&quot; That’s about the same capacity as the global wind energy sector today.</span></p>