In July, 2015, the company Hydrotube Energie has ended setting up a tidal turbine into the Garonne River.
This local experiment is part of a national project, which aim is to envision and develop the potential of hydrokinetic power, and to demonstrate that marine energies are clean, without any impact on the river nor sea ecosystems.
H3 (that’s its name) is a 10 meters long turbine, with a 3.5 meters diameter propeller. The whole turbine weighs five tons.
It generates between 5 and 20 kW of electricity. The generated power depends on the speed of the Garonne River current, which is very fluctuating. This particular current helps to evaluate the turbine resistance in different weather conditions, and to measure the energy generation according to the strength of the current.
A H3 Turbine costs from 80.000 to 100.000 €. It should be reduced to 50.000 to 60.0000 € thanks to industrialisation.
A constant renewable energy
By harnessing the kinetic current energy, tidal turbines can run permanently, whereas a wind turbine needs wind, and solar panels need sun.
This is the strength of that energy. France gets a strong growth potential in this industry, thanks to her good natural resources, and because several French companies developed their skills in it.
French State and Ademe (Agency for the Environment and Energy Management) lauched a joint public tender about marine energies and river tidal turbines. Tender package revealed on August 3, 2015, stipulates that two tindal turbines farms should be set up in 2019. Each one will be composed of five turbines, which would generate 30 kW of electricity.
