Dutch firm to build tidal energy project

Dutch firm Tocardo Tidal Turbines has announced that it will move forward with a plan to install what it is calling the largest tidal energy project in The Netherlands and the largest commercial tidal power plant in the world. Under the $12.4 million project, Tocardo will install five tidal turbines in the Oosterschelde barrier near the province of Zeeland. The facility will have a generating capacity of 1.2 MW and is expected to be operational later this year. Funding for the project is being provided by the European Regional Development Fund, the Dutch government, and the province of Zeeland. The Oosterschelde barrier, which is also known as the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, is the largest storm surge protection structure in The Netherlands, and the fast-flowing water of the Eastern Scheldt estuary make the location ideal for power generation through tidal energy, according to Tocardo. “With our turbines in the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, we can now show the world what tidal energy is all about—namely providing a clean and reliable source of energy that could fulfil 10 to 20% of the world’s electricity needs,” said Hans van Breugel, Tocardo’s CEO.