New Technology Offers Advanced Tidal Energy Generation-

“Deep Green”, an innovative advancement in hydropower developed by Swedish start-up Minesto, has recently acquired €2 million ($2.5 million) from investors for research and development beginning early next year. Described as an “underwater kite”, the technology consists of a turbine attached to a wing and rudder that is secured to the ocean floor by 100 meters of cable. According to Minesto, anchoring “Deep Green” and steering the fastened “kite” allows the turbine to capture energy from the tidal currents at ten times the speed of the actual stream velocity. One of the greatest benefits to the technology, Minesto officials claim, is its small size – 12 meters for the wingspan and 1 meter for the turbine – compared to other tidal energy concepts. Minesto’s chief technical officer, Ted Rosendahl, says that the small size of “Deep Green” offers efficiency at greater depths and when the current velocity is low; allowing tidal energy to be tested in new stretches of ocean. The technology, capable of generating 500 kilowatts per hour, may be commercially available within the next four years but Minesto says that much more testing is still required. “We are in the development stage at the moment so there are many things to look into. Of course there are things in the environment that we don’t know about fully yet,” Rosendahl told CNN. Minesto was founded in 2007 and the project began back in 2003 as a result from research at the auto and aircraft manufacturer, Saab.

An artist’s impression shows how the “Deep Green” device will function beneath the surface of the ocean.