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UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country
The West Country is home to some of the finest engineering anywhere in the UK, thanks to the region's historical patronage of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. That reputation will continue thanks to the Department of Energy and Climate Change naming it as the home of the nation's first marine energy park. Running from Bristol, past Cornwall and out to the Isles of Scilly, the tidal-power plant is expected to generate 27 Gigawatts of power, the equivalent of eight coal-fired power stations. Of course, harnessing the energy of the seas isn't something we'll be seeing soon as the project's earmarked to be ready for 2050, around the same time we're likely to get LTE.
Scientists create sea-power generating 'Anaconda'
Scientists may have discovered a new way to combat the global energy crisis -- and they're calling it the "Anaconda" (we'll give you a moment to purge your mind of any J. Lo films). The system works by utilizing the power of the ocean and long, black rubber tubes (hence the name). The rubber "snakes" are laid just below the sea's surface where they're pounded by the ocean's waves. That movement creates "bulge waves" inside the water-filled tubes, which are then carried up through the devices to a turbine, which in turn sends the energy it produces to shore via cables. So far scientists have only tested the system on a small scale, though they say the full-size devices could be 200 meters long and seven meters in diameter. That's one giant, deadly snake.
