Underwater turbine gives predictable energy generation 🌍

Ignore the "photo" in this article, since it's AI generated, but Between two Japanese islands a tidal turbine on the seabed is sending 1.1 megawatts ashore through a single cable is an interesting read about a tidal turbine in the Naru Strait, in the Goto Islands off Nagasaki, Japan. This second generation turbine (replacing a 500kW that was end of life'd in 2021) is rated at 1.1MW, and came online in 2025. It was built in the UK, and has 3 carbon fibre blades - this was apparently chosen over steel, because a broken carbon blade sinks, so is not a shipping hazard. (The reasoning here is not explained - I can't immediately see why a steel blade would instead float!)

The article makes a couple of further points

1. Since tides are predictable, you can be sure of the output this turbine will generate, even decades ahead, eliminating the need for storage and backup enegy sources if the weather does no cooperate
2. Actually tides are not ideal - since they change direction, and have slack periods. An even greater gaol is harnessing the ocean currents that flow just as predictably, but in a single direction, moving huge quantities of water