British-Indian Enterprises Construct Asia's First Tidal Power Plant

Indian media reported on January 19th that the international marine energy company British Atlantis Resources Co., Ltd. stated that it will cooperate with Indian state-owned Gujarat Power Company to create a commercial tidal energy in Gujarat, India. The power station will start construction in early 2012 and be completed in 2013. It is expected that the power generation capacity will initially reach 50 megawatts, and the scale of power generation is expected to expand to 200 megawatts in the future. In addition, the power station is also the first tidal energy power station in Asia.

It is reported that this tidal power station will be built near the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. Atlantis Resources has conducted economic and technical studies on prime locations near the Bay of Ketchi. The results show that the Kati Bay has a tidal power capacity of at least 300 MW. Narendra Modi, the government minister of Gujarat, said that we are very optimistic about the prospects for tidal energy, and we have already formulated a plan for the future tidal power generation of 250 megawatts. The establishment of this power station is just part of the plan.

In fact, as early as two years ago, Atlantis Resources Corporation conducted a global research and analysis of tidal energy resources, actively sought out hot spots, determined the appropriate conditions, and then studied the possibility of building a tidal power plant, including India’s Kachi Bay. The project has received strong support from the Indian government since the preparatory period. The subsequent participation of Indian companies has contributed to the development of the project.

According to the cooperation plan of the two companies, this tidal energy power station will require hundreds of millions of dollars of investment for the purchase of turbines, development of infrastructure related to electricity export, and promotion of the development of local supply chains. At the same time, this power station will also be local. Create a lot of jobs. It is reported that the basic equipment of the power station is mainly composed of 50 sets of 1 MW turbines, which are roughly estimated to cost approximately US$150 million. At present, the wind turbine manufacturing technology in India is developing rapidly. In order to take full advantage of geopolitical advantages, most of the factory construction work will be completed locally in Gujarat.

Tim Cornelius, CEO of Atlantis Resources, said: "This project is not only India but also the entire Asian project. Minister Modi once again honored his commitment to supporting the renewable energy industry. This serves as a channel to stimulate the economy and create job opportunities. We are very honored and very happy to work with Indian companies to complete this great historic project."

Gujarat Power Company **D.J. Pandian said: “The Gujarat coastal waters have considerable resources, so the tide provides us with a huge opportunity. This project will be the first commercial in India and Asia. The Chaoshan Power Station on a large scale will bring substantial economic and environmental benefits to the region and paves the way for similar work in Gujarat.”

In another development, the two companies will also conduct research on offshore wind energy resources in Kagewan to assess the feasibility of establishing large-scale wind power generation projects.

The establishment of this power station indicates that Asia has officially entered the tidal energy field. Although the tide can contribute to the global power supply, the industry generally believes that the high-speed period for the development of tides will soon come.