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This is how we get
energy from water
Our main pillars
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Hydropower
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Tidal energy and ocean currents
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Wave energy
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Thermal energy from the sea
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Energy from salt gradient
Hydropower
There is a drop between the point where the water flows into our country via the rivers and where it flows out into the sea. For the Rhine this is approximately 10 metres and for the Meuse 45 metres. In order to continue to guarantee navigability, weirs and locks have been constructed at various locations in the Dutch river network. This offers opportunities for energy generation without further damaging the landscape and/or the rivers. This can be done with fish-safe low-drop turbines, integrated into coastal works or in the free flow.
Laagverval, visveilige waterturbines.
Visveilige waterturbine
Laagverval, visveilige waterturbines.
Potential energy supply
The production of electricity from runoff water depends on the drop and the amount of water that is discharged by the river. Given the average flow that is discharged by the Rhine, Meuse and other rivers, and given the drop that the runoff water bridges, the potential supply is 0.3 TWh per year. This could supply more than 100,000 Dutch households with electricity.
Tidal energy
The moon, the earth, the seas and gravity together create tides. The tide is one of the most important forces for the flow of water. Tidal energy is energy that is extracted from the difference between ebb and flow. Flowing water can be converted into electrical energy in a relatively simple way. This can be done in two ways: via tidal currents and tidal basins.
Tidal current
A tidal power station consists of turbines in the water. The operation of a water current turbine is comparable to the operation of a windmill. For the Netherlands, the North Sea around the Wadden Islands and the delta are the most suitable for tidal currents.
Tidal basins
In basins, the floodwater is 'captured' behind a dam. This is done by first letting the water flow into the dam. When the highest level is reached, the lock gates close. The water remains in the basin. When the water difference in front of and behind the dam is high enough, the gates are opened again. The water flows past the turbines, which are connected to generators, back to the sea.
Getijdenturbine van Tocardo
Luchtfoto Oosterscheldekering
Een getijdenturbine met slimme bladen wekt energie op uit het getijverschil
Getijdenturbine van Tocardo
Potential energy supply
The potential for tidal energy in the Netherlands is estimated at 250
GWh. This is enough for 100,000 Dutch households. This can be partly realised in coastal defence works such as the Oosterschelde dam and partly in free-flow installations in constrictions such as the Westerschelde and the tidal channels between the Wadden Islands. The Zeeland offshore wind farms also offer potential in the long term, as do the tidal basins.
A large tidal basin 50 km long could generate 30 TWh annually, equivalent to powering 11 million homes.
Ocean current
Ocean currents are often constant in direction, speed and flow, and they carry large amounts of energy. Ocean currents are mainly formed by the rotation of the earth (Coriolos effect), variations in the seabed and differences in temperature and salinity.
There are five major ocean-wide gyres: the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Each gyre is flanked by a strong and narrow "Western Boundary Current" and a weak and broad "Eastern Boundary Current."
Potential energy supply
The total global power in ocean currents has been estimated at around 5,000 GW, with power densities up to 15 kW/m2. Some examples of well-known ocean currents are the Gulf Stream, the Agulhas Current, and the Kuroshio Current. In the EU, US, Japan and China, solutions are being developed and tested to convert this constant current. Given the relatively low current velocities compared to tidal currents, underwater kite solutions are mainly being considered.
Wave energy
The waves in the sea are always moving, independent of wind or sun. Wave energy is therefore a reliable source for generating sustainable electricity. The power that is released drives turbines.
Just as we build wind farms at sea, we can also build wave energy installations at sea. Combinations with the already existing wind farms naturally offer very nice synergy advantages.
Slow Mill bestaat uit een drijver met wieken die variabel verbonden zijn met een anker op de zeebodem.
Deze batterij slaat energie op en is een modulaire oplossing voor op de zeebodem
De golfomvormer naar energie van Symphony Wave Power
Slow Mill bestaat uit een drijver met wieken die variabel verbonden zijn met een anker op de zeebodem.
Potential energy supply
One way to generate energy in the North Sea without having to create extra space is by placing wave energy converters at the edges of the offshore wind farms. In this way, 2.6 TWh can be generated annually, enough to supply 1 million Dutch households with electricity.
Thermal energy from the sea
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a form of sustainable energy that uses the natural temperature difference in the ocean to generate electricity. Aquathermy is the collective term for sustainable heating and cooling with water. It involves heat and cold from surface water, wastewater and drinking water. Aquathermy is one of the alternatives for sustainable heating from the Climate Agreement.
Only a very small part of the North Sea, which is close to the coast, is within reach of heating and cooling installations for houses and buildings. The inland waters are relatively close to buildings and can therefore be used thermally to a large extent.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) wekt energie op uit het temperatuurverschil in de oceaan
De Nederlandse firma Teamwork Technology ontwikkelt de Archimedes Wave Swing (AWS).
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) wekt energie op uit het temperatuurverschil in de oceaan
Potential energy supply
The total surface area of lakes and ponds in the Netherlands is approximately 500 km2. The other inland waters such as the IJsselmeer and Markermeer, the Rhine/Meuse estuary and the rivers have a surface area of more than 2000 km2. In addition, the North Sea covers a surface area of 57,000 km2.
If approximately 1000 km2 of the total water surface can be used for energy production, the technical potential is approximately 20 PJ per year (5 to 6 TWh), enough for 2 million Dutch households.
Energy from salt gradient (osmosis)
You can make energy from differences in salt concentration between fresh, brackish and salt water. Another name is Salinity Gradient Power. By separating water masses by a membrane, electricity can be generated both directly and indirectly. An average of 89,600 million m3 of fresh water flows into the North Sea each year. This means that approximately 3,000 m3 of fresh water flows into the sea from the Netherlands every second.
Zout en zoet water worden in de stack gecontroleerd gemengd en met dit proces wordt elektrische energie gewonnen.
Energiewinning uit het verschil in zoutconcentratie tussen zout en zoet water.
Proefinstallatie Blue Energy geopend door Koning
Zout en zoet water worden in de stack gecontroleerd gemengd en met dit proces wordt elektrische energie gewonnen.
Potential energy supply
The theoretically present osmotic pressure difference between fresh and salt water is around 25 bar. The potential capacity is therefore an annual energy supply of approximately 6 TWh, approximately 22 PJ. As an indication: this corresponds to the consumption of 2 million Dutch households!
The data for the potential energy supply of Tidal energy, Wave energy, Thermal energy from the sea and Energy from salinity gradient come from Marine energy in the Dutch North Sea by DNV and for river energy from Perspectives electricity from water by Witteveen & Bos and CE Delft.