-
The Japanese company IHI Corp has worked on the project for decades.
-
Successfully tested 330-tonne prototype anchors at 50 meters
-
He could generate 60% of Japan’s current generation capacity alone
A giant underwater turbine that harnesses deep ocean currents and converts them into a source of electricity could be our light at the end of the tunnel, in a year of great economic and political tension, marked by the high cost of fossil fuels.
Los oil prices soared on monday after what The European Union will reach an agreement to ban 90% of Russian crude oil by the end of the year.. lot fUnited States crude futures for July they were trading at $118.46 per barrel, while those of Brent rose to $123.42. At one point, US crude rose to $119.42 a barrel, a 12-week high, according to Refinitiv data cited by CNBC.
In fact, the Memorial Day holiday weekend suffered from some limitations due to record gasoline prices, which could go even higher. The US average for unleaded gasoline is now $4,599 a gallon, up 40% year-to-date and well above last year’s level of $3.04 a gallon, according to AAA. For the 4th of July holiday, more states could see average prices above $5 a gallon.
Japan’s solution: a giant turbine at the bottom of the ocean
Like other nations, most of Japan’s investment in renewable energy has gone to wind and solar power. The Asian country is already the third largest solar power generator in the world and is investing heavily in offshore wind power.
His most recent solution to the fossil fuel storage problem has been the underwater turbine named Kairyua system that could provide unlimited and renewable energy, regardless of wind or sun.
According to Bloombergbehind this project is Japanese heavy machinery manufacturer IHI Corp.which for more than a decade has been developing this giant aircraft-like turbine, with two counter-rotating fans and a central fuselage with a buoyancy adjustment system.
The 330-tonne prototype, which has already been successfully tested, is designed to be anchored to the bottom of the sea at a depth of 30 to 50 meters. The plan is to locate it on the Kuroshio Current, which runs along the east coast of Japan and is one of the strongest in the world, and transmit power through cables on the seabed.
“Ocean currents have a huge advantage in terms of their accessibility in Japan,” said Ken Takagi, a professor of ocean technology policy at the University of Tokyo. “Wind power is geographically more suitable for Europe, which is exposed to westerly winds and is located at higher latitudes.”
But, despite its renewable source alternatives, the entire Eurozone suffered in May from an annual increase in prices that was driven by high energy costs, which reached 39.2% (vs. 37.5% in April) . The increase was exacerbated by the war in ukraineas exports are blocked and Western countries strive to reduce their dependence on Russian gas.
You may also like:
Why the Japanese turbine can make a difference?
The Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) estimates that the Kuroshio Current, where the turbine will be located, could potentially generate up to 200 gigawatts, approximately 60% of the country’s current generation capacity.
The best thing about the Kairyu turbine is that it will take advantage of the great advantage of ocean currents: its stability. Currents flow with little fluctuation in speed and direction, giving them a capacity factor (a measure of the frequency of electrical generation) 50 to 70%, compared to around 29% generated by onshore wind power and 15% by solar power.
Tests carried out by IHI and NEDO, showed that the prototype could generate the 100 kilowatts stable power expectations and the manufacturer now plans to scale to a full 2-megawatt system that could be in commercial operation by the 2030s.
While tidal flows don’t run 24 hours a day, they tend to be stronger than deep ocean currents. The Kuroshio Current flows at 1 to 1.5 meters per second, compared to 3 meters per second for some tidal systems.
“The biggest issue for ocean current turbines is whether they could produce a device that would economically generate power from currents that aren’t particularly strong,” said Angus McCrone, former editor-in-chief of BloombergNEF and a marine energy analyst.
Ocean Energy Systems, an intergovernmental collaboration established by the International Energy Agency, sees the potential to deploy more than 300 gigawatts of ocean energy globally by 2050.
Underwater everything is more complicated
But the potential for ocean energy depends a lot on location, as well as other factors: the strength of currents, access to networks or markets, maintenance costs, existing shipping lanes, or marine life in the ocean. play.
Compared to ground installations, it is much more complicated to install a system underwater. “Unlike Europe, which has a long history of exploring for oil in the North Sea, Japan has had little experience with offshore construction,” Professor Takagi said.
In summary, There are not only significant challenges in engineeringbut also environmentally. IHI conducted an ecosystem assessment prior to launching the project and will use the results to examine any impacts on the marine environment and the fishing industry.
If successful on a large scale, deep ocean currents could play a vital part in clean energy supplies and in the global effort to phase out fossil fuels.
“Japan has not been blessed with many alternative energy sources,” Professor Tagaki added. “People may say that this is just a dream, but we must try everything to achieve zero carbon emissions”.