How Scotland Is Helping To Turn the Tide On Climate Change
What is Wave Energy?
Wave energy is a type of renewable energy that comes from the kinetic (movement) energy in waves. We can collect this energy by using a turbine to gather the energy of the wave. The bigger the wave, the more energy we can collect from it.
Why is it so exclusive to Scotland?
One of main reasons that it is almost exclusive to Scotland is due to the fact that we host the world’s tidal test centre, the European Marine Energy Centre. The world’s largest tidal stream array is situated in Orkney. A tidal stream array is an ordered group of tidal stream generators (those are what we use to collect wave energy). Orkney has many sheltered areas where generators and equipment can be stored and repaired but also has high powered waves from the North Sea.
So how is Scotland using wave power to tackle climate change?
The Scottish Government funds an organisation called Wave Energy Scotland, who are constantly working on new technology, as well as testing new tidal stream generators. Wave Energy Scotland have also spent more than thirty million pounds on over eighty different projects.
Along with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Marine Energy Industry Working Group work to develop wave energy technologies around the world.
As the climate crisis continues we will need new and improved technology for renewable energy. Wave energy is allowing Scotland to fight climate change head on by letting us use our country’s unique landscape to make cleaner energy for the future.
For more information on how Scotland’s unique landscape is being used to fight climate change visit Wave Energy Scotland’s official website: https://www.waveenergyscotland.co.uk/
By Christopher and Cameron Lobban
