logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
18m 26s

Is tidal power a viable energy source?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The Pentland Firth is the strait that lies between the far north of mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands.

It's a wild area with some of the fastest tides in the world, where the power of the sea is being harnessed by tidal turbines sitting on the sea bed.

But this type of green energy is still very expensive to generate - so what is the future of tidal and wave power?

We explore some of the ground breaking projects being developed in the region and speak to companies who are trying to reduce costs to make the energy more viable.

Produced and presented by Theo Leggett

(Image: A MeyGen turbine being installed on the sea bed. Credit: MeyGen)

Up next
Jul 10
Business Daily meets: Max Levchin
The fintech entrepreneur tells us about co-founding PayPal, and how an embarrassing personal moment when trying to buy a car, led him to start the buy now, pay later company Affirm.Produced and presented by Leanna Byrne(Image: PayPal Co-Founder & Affirm CEO Max Levchin in 2019. C ... Show More
17m 34s
Jul 9
The impact of 'thirsty' data centres
We're in the US state of Georgia, where huge data centres need water to keep cool. But how is this need for cloud storage and AI capability affecting local residents and the environment?Presenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez(Image: Georgia resident Beverly Morris l ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 8
Does university still get you a well-paid job?
Graduates are facing one of the toughest jobs markets in decades. We hear from students in India, the US and UK about whether they feel a university or college degree is worth it as we discuss the cost of attending university around the world and what your job prospects might be ... Show More
17m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
Steel in the Water: U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Scales Up
Excitement is brewing over an Atlantic offshore wind project 15 miles east of Massachusetts. Developers of the first utility-scale project in the country have begun laying the foundations for 62 planned turbines.   Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first commercial scale offshore wind ... Show More
47m 54s
Jan 2024
Turning the tides into renewable energy
Companies around the world are trying to harness the power of the tides to create a renewable energy source. Canada’s Bay of Fundy is a promising place to do it because it has the highest tides in the world. But turning the tides into energy has proven to be challenging and costl ... Show More
19m 49s
Oct 2021
Could we completely switch to renewable energy?
As the world slowly moves away from using fossil fuels for electricity, one tiny Scottish island has proved it’s possible to rely almost entirely on renewables. The inner Hebridean isle of Eigg used to get its power from diesel generators. But in 2008 its residents launched the w ... Show More
34m 40s
Jan 2015
Is it Time to End Subsidies for Wave and Tidal Energy?
Progress in wave and tidal energy hasn’t been slow – it’s been nonexistent. Despite media attention, strategic investments from large energy companies and strong support from national governments, the marine renewables industry has seen mostly technical failure over the last deca ... Show More
36m 49s
Apr 2023
Is Geothermal Power The Key To Stabilizing The Grid?
Alternative sources of power are moving into the spotlight.As the share of dispatchable power in our electricity system declines, with coal-fired plants giving way to variable wind and solar, maintaining reliable supplies to keep the lights on becomes more complex. Investment in ... Show More
58m 45s
Jun 2022
The EU's Plan For Energy Self-Sufficiency
The energy crisis is showing no signs of abating. There’s a shortage of energy, and the world’s efforts to transition to low-carbon energy are met with countless hurdles. Countries around the world are taking steps to mitigate the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine how ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2023
Green and novel: the future of energy generation
Energy accounts for more than three-quarters of our greenhouse gas emissions globally each year. That’s not surprising, given the role of energy in almost every aspect of modern life. To stand any chance of hitting net zero climate targets, we need to accelerate the transition to ... Show More
57m 38s
Jan 2023
Money Talks: The new power in the North Sea
For decades, the North Sea’s fierce gales have created a challenge for those extracting the oil and gas buried beneath its swells. But the region’s poor weather is also the key to its future: offshore wind. And the plans are surprisingly ambitious. On this week’s podcast, hosts T ... Show More
35m 2s
Jan 2023
Money Talks: The new power in the North Sea
For decades, the North Sea’s fierce gales have created a challenge for those extracting the oil and gas buried beneath its swells. But the region’s poor weather is also the key to its future: offshore wind. And the plans are surprisingly ambitious. On this week’s podcast, hosts T ... Show More
35m 2s