Renewables continue to grab our attention, and not just because of their potential (Texas and California know this well), but also because of the incredible variety of sustainable resources we can use (as they do in New York). Just now, we learned that the most famous river in America has the most sought-after energy in the world at its bottom, and this is what we’re going to do to extract it.
This well-known American river turned into a colossal electric battery
The Niagara River is a river that starts at the lower end of lake Erie and flows through the Niagara falls towards lake Ontario and is situated in both the USA and Canada. It is perhaps most noted for the huge waterfalls with which it has provided the region on its 35 mile course down nearly 100 feet.
However, in addition to curtain waterfalls the Niagara River has the potentials for the creation of immense renewable energy sources. It has come to light in the recent past that the lower section of the Niagara River is holding yet untapped resource potential that can provide energy.
New developments in turbine technology may actually make generation of this energy at the bottom of the river feasible. The proposed project could help in enhancing electricity generation and supply to the border region and other regions on both sides of the border.
However, the effects of the marine environment on turbine systems are still unknown. There are many challenges that must be overcome to gain approval for such a project and put it into effect. But if succeeded, it would make an innovative use of highly potent renewable energy source.
Unprecedented power output: 4.4 GW found at the bottom of the Niagara River
The Niagara River is one of the popular and large rivers of North America and has the Niagara water falls. Being a river that connects two Great Lake namely Lake Erie with Lake Ontario and is also a source of the border between the United States and Canada.
The Niagara River is not long at only forty-two kilometres (26 miles), but it has the grand Niagara Falls and a series of raging rapids as the river drops nearly 11 metres (100 feet) per kilometre. There is a massive amount of potential energy in the Niagara River when it is in the fast flowing state.
Many large scale power stations are situated on the bank of the river, namely the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Power Stations at Niagara, Ontario and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant at Lewiston, New York. Together, these plants generate more than 4 percent of the world’s electricity.
The Niagara River supplies approximately 4% of all the hydropower in North America. However everything described above shows some sort of hydroelectric development and yet the river remains intact with its famous waterfalls as well as rapids, a focal point to the natural potential of the river.
Attention to what they are going to put at the bottom of the Niagara River: colossal and energetic
That is true, but much of the potential hydroelectricity still exists some distance down near the lake, in strong, swift currents in the Niagara River. Conventional hydro turbines are only able to extract energy at the top part of the energy flow.
Such turbines are slowly becoming effective because in recent years, enhancements in the engineering of turbines make them capable of utilizing all river currents including the deepest portion. The proposed project includes the addition of fresh hydrokinetic turbine units in the underwater area at the proximity of Unity Island.
These are underwater turbines with vertically axial rotating blades which can harness power from the whole river’s width as water flows over them. With efficient in the operation in fast currents, the turbines which are in place enable the conversion of the kinetic energy of the water into electricity that is clean and renewable.
As you can see, underwater energy is the future of our country, which will not only involve wind or solar power. The huge amount of bodies of water we have spread across America, as well as our stuff in two oceans, make us one of the “luckiest” countries, so to speak. Will this be the end of oil drilling in Alaska? We hope so, but nothing is clear on what our country will do.
