Natural Energy Wyre, the Fleetwood based company, announced the launch of the UK’s first Tidal Hydro Energy Plant (THEP). Natural Energy Wyre (NEW) has been working on a project to generate electricity from tidal range, where its power (referred to as “tidal head”) is converted into electricity at the mouth of the River Wyre, powering over 50,000 homes. The UK has some of the highest tidal ranges in the world, which makes the British Isles an ideal location for THEP technology. Harnessing this energy represents a valuable resource that could provide British homes and businesses with affordable electricity for generations to come. The team at NEW have been studying tidal flows for several years, investigating ideal locations for the THEP within the UK. The River Wyre, which flows into Morecambe Bay at Fleetwood, experiences tidal ranges of more than 10 metres on spring tides, and combined with an unusually narrow estuary of only 600 meters span, it provides the ideal location. Tidal Head Energy Plants convert energy four times a day with each tidal movement producing large amounts of energy, which is converted into electricity. THEP technology combines tried and tested hydropower with state-of-the-art, specially developed power conversion electronics.
Blue & Green Tomorrow 4th Aug 2016 read more »