Tidal power - New solution for Korean energy demand

In the face of rising oil prices, ensuring energy security has become a global concern, the search for alternative energy sources is becoming a common goal and solution for many countries.

With advantages such as low cost, no harm to the environment, green energy sources such as solar, wind, especially power generation from tidal energy are considered as a useful alternative energy source. useful, being developed by many countries. Currently, La Rance Power Plant in France, with a capacity of 240,000 kWh, is one of the largest tidal power plants in the world.

Producing tidal power or tidal energy is a way to turn tidal energy into electricity or other useful energy. In order to obtain energy from waves, the method of water column oscillation is used. The waves hit the coast, pushing the water level up in a large room built inside the coastal strip, partially submerged under the sea. When the water rises, the air inside the room is ejected by a hole into a turbine. When the wave recedes, the water level falling inside the room will draw air through the turbine in the opposite direction. Turbine rotates as a generator to produce electricity.

Tidal energy systems in Strangford Lough (Northern Ireland).

These turbines have rotors in the same direction, regardless of the direction of air flow. But this new system also has its problems, the transmitters attached to seawater are corroded faster, the maintenance costs are quite high. Moreover, machines are large and bulky, which can interfere with waterway traffic and wild life. However, according to calculations by experts, the cost of producing tidal electricity is 0.1USD / kilowatt, slightly higher than the price of gas and coal and equivalent to the cost of a wind power motor.

The Korean government has just launched a plan to turn the country's west coast into the world's largest tidal power plant belt. The first phase for realizing this plan has been implemented, with the Sihwa-ho tidal power plant project, in the construction phase, expected to open in November 2009. Sihwa-ho tidal power plant is a pioneer in the field of tidal power production in Korea.

In order to build the factory since 2004, Lake Sihwa-ho has been renovated from freshwater lake into saltwater lake through the project of improving water quality. By design, the plant will have a capacity of 254,000 KWh (with 10 turbine generators). When completed, Sihwa-ho will become the world's largest tidal power plant. With an estimated annual output of 550 million KW, the plant is expected to help Korea save about 39 billion won in fuel import costs and significantly reduce CO ₂ emissions.