List of the Key Companies in the Wave and Tidal Energy Market:

Japan has entered the tidal power age with a pilot turbine installed in the waters of the Goto Islands archipelago having clocked up is first hours of generation following installation late last year by developer Kyuden Mirai Energy (MRE).

Tidal power is already currently located in a number of countries including South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and the Netherlands. The map below shows the countries that are involved with tidal energy.

• Ocean Renewable Power Company LLC.
• Aquamarine Power Ltd.
• ABB Ltd.
• Nova Innovations Ltd.
• Siemens.
• Pelamis Wave Power.
• Openhydro.
• Atlantis Resources Ltd.

As the tidal power generation emits no harmful gases into the atmosphere, it is an environmentally friendly energy source. Further, the tidal power projects do not need much space compared to solar farms which require a large area of land for installation of modules.

In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, tidal energy has no air emissions, such as soot and fine particles, which are related to human cancer, heart and lung damage as well as mental functioning.

Advantages of Tidal Energy Energy output from tidal power generators is predictable since we can accurately predict when tides occur. This makes tidal energy reliable and easy to integrate with the grid. It is also sustainable because its energy comes from the lunar and solar cycle.

We can use tidal energy to supply electricity to our homes and businesses. Tidal generators (or turbines) work like wind turbines, except it is ocean currents, not wind, that turns them. The spinning turbine is connected to another device that produces electricity.

As clean as wave energy is, it still creates hazards for some of the creatures near it. Large machines have to be put near and in the water to gather energy from the waves. There is also a danger of toxic chemicals that are used on wave energy platforms spilling and polluting the water near them.

Wave Energy is perceived to be a non-polluting and renewable source of energy. These renewable energy sources are also important because they reduce our dependence on carbon based fossil fuels, enhances energy efficiency, and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Is wave energy cheap? Not really. While the natural resources, i.e. sunlight, wind and water, involved in creating wave energy are both free and in abundance, the same cannot be said for the supporting technology.

The World Renewable Energy Report estimates the cost of wave energy at an average of 9 cents/kWh and tidal and current an average of 8 cents/kWh.

High costs However, at the moment, the costs of wave power are generally very high because they are in the research phase of development and generally paid for by government grants or research grants. There are no energy companies utilizing wave energy at scale – something which would bring the cost down.

Electricity generation sources

1. Hydro. Hydropower uses the power of flowing water to create electricity.
2. Nuclear. Nuclear power comes from a nuclear fission process that generates heat, which is used to generate the steam that rotates the turbines to generate electricity.
3. Coal.
4. Natural Gas.
5. Biomass.
6. Wind.
7. Oil.
8. Solar.