3. Tidal Stream

3.1. History and Development

Tidal stream energy conversion devices are a recent addition to the aquatic renewable energy industry.

The power of tidal streams has been known since the earliest days of seafaring. It is only recently, with the development of offshore engineering technologies and the drive to find renewable energy resources, that tidal stream energy has become technically feasible.

Developments of tidal stream technology began in the early 1990s, and by the beginning of the 21st century a wide range of designs were being proposed, developed and tested.