As so much of Cape Town is surrounded by the sea,it would be great if we were able to harness the water wave energy to reduce green house gas emissions while generating electricity. To the best of my knowledge few town and cities have invested in such technologies to generate power. I could only imagine Cape Town has great potential to tap into this vast water reserve.
This article from the Herald Scotland.
After decades of rhetoric,developers have finally been given the green light to generate electricity from the power of the waves and tides around the north of Scotland and Orkney on a commercial scale.
By 2020,the 1.2GW of installed capacity at the 10 sites leased by the Crown Estate yesterday will be four times the peak output of Dounreay,and sufficient to meet the needs of up to 750,000 homes.
Six will account for 600MW of capacity from wave power,and another 600MW from four tidal projects.
Each will employ different technology,from giant snake-like structures that float on the surface to turbines resembling giant car wheels with an open centre that sit on the sea bed.
Scotland has been beaten by Portugal in the race for the world’s first commercial wave farm,which opened in September 2008.
One of the successful bidders was Aquamarine Power. The company’s Oyster generator is the world’s largest working hydro-electric wave energy device. A giant flap is pushed back and forwards by the waves,which in turn drives a hydraulic piston on the sea bed to deliver high-pressure water up through pipes to the shore,where it drives the same sort of turbines that are in any hydro scheme.
A prototype was turned on by Mr Salmond in November,but now a joint venture with SSE Renewables will be established off the west coast of the Orkney mainland with a installed capacity of 200MW,which could provide enough energy to power around 190,000 homes…
As South Africa is close to becoming a water scarce country it is becoming essential that we all use our water resources wisely. In Cape Town we are fortunate enough to have access to a vast coast line that has the potential to supply us with much renewable energy. This could relieve our reliance on less environmentally friendly energy sources.
With not that many days to go before the 2010 FIFA would cup and the influx of visitors that will accompany the soccer world cup. South Africa and Cape town’s water reserves will be put under strain as more people will be using our very scares commodity. This makes it essential for every South African to educate others and to implement system that will help us all save water. This can be done by reusing shower and bath water (aka. grey water) to either irrigate gardens or flush toilets.
