Japanese shipping firm to participate in tidal power project decided for Singapore

August 10, 2022: -Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha will participate in a tidal power project for Singapore as the marine energy sector gains traction.

The demonstration project, run by Bluenergy Solutions, which Singapore owns, focuses on creating off-grid tidal power systems. The expectancy is that they could one day replace diesel generators.

The scheme will see three-bladed turbine parts which bear a resemblance to the ones used on wind farms deployed underwater.

NYK expressed it would be working on three areas as part of the off-grid project: energy storage, the cost of power generation, and the efficiency of power generation.

The previous week’s announcement represents its latest foray into tidal power. It was formerly involved in a project that installed turbines beneath the Sentosa Boardwalk, which links the Singapore mainland to Sentosa Island.

Projects like those planned for Singapore are in their old stages, but Asia is home to South Korea’s Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant. A tidal barrage power plant began operations in 2011 and is the largest tidal plant worldwide.

According to the U.S. database Tethys, tidal barrages are “typically built across the entrance to a bay or estuary” and produce electricity by harnessing “the difference in water height inside and outside of the structure.”

While tidal barrage developments were the initial focus of those operating in the marine energy industry, recent years have seen companies focus their attention on different systems.

The European Marine Energy Centre says these include tidal stream devices “are broadly similar to submerged wind turbines.”