The Severn, Dee, Solway and Humber estuaries are all potential sites for tidal energy generating barrages in the UK, while Islay and the Pentland Firth are to host tidal turbine arrays.

These estimates are compared to those for ten other electricity generation technologies whose costs were identified by the UK Government (DTI, 2006). Under plausible assumptions for costs and performance, point estimates of the levelised costs of Wave and Tidal Stream generation are £190 and £81/MWh, respectively.

What are the big disadvantages of tidal energy? The damage done to inlets, bays and estuaries.

Tidal barrages and hydroelectric power stations are very reliable and can be easily switched on.

Truly, the future of tidal energy is tightly hinged to the costs involved. Right now, it’s difficult for tidal power to complete with the prices offered by traditional electric companies offering energy from traditional sources such as coal, oil and natural gas. That said, the future looks brighter than ever before.

Experts say the real future of tidal energy lies with arrays of floating or sea-bottom-mounted turbines that capture the energy of tidal currents in unobstructed waters — so-called in-stream technology.

Advantages of tidal energy

• Renewable. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy, which means the energy doesn’t deplete as it is used.
• Zero carbon emissions. In addition to being a renewable energy source, tidal power stations do not emit greenhouse gasses during electricity generation.
• Predictable.
• High power output.

First off, tidal energy is a clean renewable resource which is more efficient than wind energy due to the density of water and more efficient than solar energy due to its high ~80% conversion efficiency. Tides are also more predictable than wind energy and solar energy, therefore more reliable.

Thanks to its great crude oil and natural gas production output and being a net exporter of energy, Qatar enjoys some of the cheapest electricity prices in the world.

Nuclear energy costs between $112 and $189. Over the past decade, the WNISR estimates levelized costs – which compare the total lifetime cost of building and running a plant to lifetime output – for utility-scale solar have dropped by 88% and for wind by 69%.

Natural gas, solar and wind are the cheapest ways to generate electric power, according to a new study released by the University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute on Thursday.