HARNESSING THE TIDES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1924, Page 1

HARNESSING THE TIDES

ELECTRICITY FROM SEA ROWER

A scheme just launched for the continuous generation of cheap electricity for Essex towns by the use of tho tidal power in the Alersea waters is the romance of an idea doggedly pursued for 15 years.

The originator (says the “Daily News”) Air Leonard Weaver, though not an engineer, was inspired h.v what he saw of hydro-electric enterprise in America lo see tho possibilities ol the marshlands opposite the iiurthern stTle of the island of Alersea, where he has i.vcd for the last 20 years. The Weaver Tidal Bower Syndicate, Ltd., was formed, and the engineering levels are now being taken for the first portion, of the project, which is to generate 4,000,000 units per an mini at the low cosh of ltd per unit. Fingrinhuc and Laiigi'iihoe Marshes and Gceton Saltings, near tho Byileet Channel, are the tract lo he exploited for the whole scheme, which it is expected will supply eventually more than 15,000,000 units.

The miles of sea. walls protecting these marshes have made the scheme practicable. Sluices let into the walls will at high tide automatically Hood one area, and the water will pass through turbines into a damned creek serving as an empty basin. At lieu the tide is at the ebb the water is to run out of the empty basin through floodgates so that there will never bo less than a ten-foot head of water for the working of the turbines. The application of this principle to about oOn acres of marshland assures a. ceaseless supply of electricity at an actual cost to the produces of oneeight of Id per unit. The lowest figure at which a steam plant could generate would be 2d. 'l’he advantage of such cheap power liTColchester and Southend is obvious and should help to develop Aloises. Once the methods are a working proposition it will doubtless not be long before similar works are in operation on such promising sites as AVal-ton-on-tlie-Naze, the Aledwav, Romney Alarshes, and other spots round the English coast.