Tides and energy: why the best ideas are usually the simplest
Minesto, a Swedish spinoff created by former employees of the country’s aerospace company, Saab, has designed what looks like a bright yellow drone, but is actually an underwater kite.
Anchored to the seabed by a cable and connected to the power grid, the kite, which measures about twelve meters from tip to tip of the wings and weighs about 28 tons — actually, that corresponds to the Dragon 12 model, although there are smaller ones — navigates by taking advantage of predictable tides and currents describing a figure-eight or infinity-shaped trajectory, allowing it to move its propeller and generate up to 3.5 GWh of electricity annually. A rudder system means that when the tide changes, the device simply changes direction.
The design fits entirely in a standard sea container, making it easy to transport. It is mounted on land and towed by a boat to its installation site, where it is anchored and connected. Obviously, it is most effective in areas with strong tides and currents, such as in the Faroe Islands, the archipelago between Scotland and Iceland…
