The Scottish Islands where electricity is produced from the tides of the ocean

The tip of renewable energy is perhaps at a place you least expect, a rugged archipelago off the north coast of the Scottish mainland.

With around 22,000 inhabitants, the Orkney Islands form a beautiful landscape known for its charming villages, ancient Neolithic structures, steep cliffs and rough seas. Set of 70 islands located about 10 km from the mainland, the Orkney Islands straddle the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and harbor incredibly strong tides, making it a prime location for harnessing the energy of the sea .

This should not be surprising – the Orkney Islands have been at the forefront of renewable energy for years. The world's first wind turbine connected to the grid was tested at Orkney in 1951. For more than 15 years, the islands have been home to the largest wind turbine in the world. In 2014, the islands produced 104% of the energy they needed through renewable energy sources. And today they house the European Center for Marine Energy, or EMEC, a facility that tests the viability of tidal energy technologies.

Since its establishment more than ten years ago, EMEC has contributed to the installation of at least 30 different prototypes in Orkney waters, ranging from an Archimedes screw immersed to a kite. submarine. According to the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum, there are "more network-connected ocean energy devices tested in Orkney than in any other site in the world."

More recently, a new prototype has caused a sensation. This year, it was announced that a newly installed tidal power turbine, the SR2000, which looks like a yellow submarine overheated by the current, generated three gigawatt hours of electricity. "[T]The power generated in 12 months by this single turbine was greater than that of the entire wave and tidal energy sector in Scotland in the 12 years prior to the launch of this turbine ", said Andrew Scott, CEO of Scotrenewables Tidal Power (now Orbital Marine Power). , according to the BBC. As the network explains, this unique device "can generate 7% of Orkney's electricity, but could supply more than a quarter of the homes in the region".

And it can do more than create energy from the movement of the ocean – it is also capable of producing hydrogen. Earlier this year, the electricity produced by the SR2000 was introduced into an electrolyser and used to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen components. It is planned to use this hydrogen in fuel cells, which can become an additional source of energy for ferries moored in Orkney Islands.

While all generators Orcades feed their electricity network in the United Kingdom, it is hoped to introduce this technology in other parts of British waters. The British government estimates that waves and tides could provide 20% of the country's electricity needs. .