The world urgently needs large scale, low cost, carbon free energy, huge quantities of which
are potentially available from rivers and tidal flows. However, the most efficient means of
harnessing this energy - with dams across rivers and barrages across estuaries – are costly to
build and have unwanted environmental consequences that are becoming an increasing
concern. Embryonic technologies in the form of underwater windmill-type kinetic energy
devices are being developed, but these can only extract a small fraction of the energy
available from a dam, barrage or SMEC and with exposed, slow running large turbines, are
mechanically inefficient, potentially vulnerable and unsuited to shallow water.
SMEC, short for Spectral Marine Energy Converter, takes the form of a permeable barrier.
SMEC can extract around 80% of the energy from a river or tidal estuary comparable with
that from a dam or barrage at less than half the cost and with much reduced environmental
impact. It is simple in concept, elegant in design and robust, with low maintenance costs.
SMEC uses the flow to amplify the physical head of water in a secondary circuit which
powers a conventional, efficient, high speed turbine. As an ultra-low head hydro technology,
SMEC will generate energy from the very many rivers not previously considered suitable for
hydro generation. SMEC technology is scaleable and will also be well suited to estuary
schemes such as (in the UK) the Mersey, Severn, Duddon, Solway and Wyre.
SMEC has been independently evaluated for several major projects, including the Severn
Embryonic Technologies Scheme (SETS) and PEEL Energy’s proposed Mersey crossing, and
has in every case has been favourably assessed; in SETS, SMEC was one of 3 technologies
out of 17 bidders to be selected for DECC support; in the recent Mersey Tidal Power
Feasibility Study Phase 1 for PEEL Energy it was one of 4 technologies taken forward out of
14.
Several major energy companies have expressed interest in investing in the technology or
acquiring SMEC devices once a commercial demonstrator unit is in the water and operating.
VerdErg has received a letter of support from PEEL Group and a SMEC is now proposed at
their Howley Lock site in Warrington on the River Mersey, subject to being demonstrated to
be financable.
In summary, the Business Opportunity is to design, build, install and maintain SMEC
facilities globally to generate very large scale renewable power in rivers, tidal flows and
waves that competes on price with convential electrical power from Fossil Fuels. In some
geographic sectors and market segments, the actual generation may also be a business
opportunity.