A review of tidal current turbine technology: Present and future

Tidal energy is predictable, which makes it highly attractive from the grid integration point of view. Recent years have seen the growth of the tidal current turbines over the traditional tidal range technology. This is primarily because of the success of the wind turbines, which are in principle similar to the tidal current turbines, and the high cost and environmental impact of the tidal range systems. This paper provides a brief review of the available and proposed solutions for the tidal current turbines. The idea is to give an overview of the different types of technologies involved in the tidal current energy conversion systems, rather than giving a summary of the different market solutions. The paper concludes by highlighting the major challenges currently faced by the tidal current turbine industry, and an indication of the present trends in the industry.