Building wind farms at sea is difficult and expensive, installing turbines beneath the waves is far more so. Currents batter them; salt corrodes them. Yet Britain's coasts have become a playground for engineers and entrepreneurs intent on producing electricity from the tides. Their efforts are beginning to generate a buzz. Most of the world's (at present puny) tidal power comes from barrages across estuaries. Yet long-mooted plans to wall up the River Severn, Britain's longest, have foundered because of high costs and worries about wildlife. Instead, scientists are focusing on two newer technologies, both of which could soon be tested in commercial schemes. This puts the country "completely at the forefront" of tidal technology, says Gareth Potter of Swansea University.
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