Tidal stream is a different technology to tidal range, such as that being considered for the UK's Severn Estuary, which uses conventional water-driven turbines to exploit the rise and fall of estuary tides. Uncertainties over the best generating-system design and challenges over installation, maintenance and transmission connection still exist, but tidal stream is generating attention since it may, in the long term, be cheaper to install and maintain, and may have less impact on the environment.
Underwater technology may sink or swim
Tidal stream technology uses kinetic energy from fast-flowing water currents to turn turbines, in the same way that wind turbines use air currents. The difference is that tides are entirely predictable.
5 February 2009 23:00 GMT
Updated
25 November 2012 9:22 GMT