H I S T O R Y
FIRSTS
Generation technologies were developed over 100 years ago
Patents for wave powered machines were issued in the 19th century
TIDAL ENERGY HISTORY
Tidal energy goes back further if you consider the waterwheel or paddle wheel techniques.
The first tidal barrages came first in France (1966).
High environmental costs have discouraged their wide-sale application.
FURTHER
The demand and interest declined in the 1980's when the cost of oil was low, making this new technology unpopular.
As the cost of oil increased during the 1990s and the demand to reduce chemical emissions, a new found interest in the ocean energy arose.
As a result, modern commercial prototypes, like the "Wave Dragon", were being installed.
WAVE DRAGON
Installed in 2003, it was one of the first modern protoypes.
It's a device that floats on top of the water and the low height makes it so that it is not visible from the shore line.
It is said that the project would have a cpacity of 7MW. With that, it could produce enough electricity each year to meet the annual demand of 2000-3000 homes. Such electricity is green, meaning that it could offset the the release of approximately 10,000 tonnes of CO2.
Wave Dragon Energy Converter