The French startup Eel Energy has unveiled a revolutionary tidal turbine that generates electricity through undulating rather than circular motion. “Eel” refers to the fish of the same name. It is an apt name, as it perfectly reflects the operation of this innovative tidal turbine. Much like an eel making its way through a stream, the device undulates thanks to a membrane attached to a steel support submerged by two steel bars. Here are the details.
A project 95% funded by private capital
To invent this membrane, Jean-Baptiste Drevet drew on biomimicry—the innovation process inspired by living beings to develop sustainable, efficient, economical, and non-polluting solutions. The inventor initially tested the membrane in epoxy carbon before opting for fiberglass. The development of this new tidal turbine was made possible by private funds, which covered 95% of its financing. In this regard, it should be noted that Eel Energy benefited from 3.7 million euros in aid provided by the Public Investment Bank, BpiFrance.
But before developing a viable prototype and successfully finding investors willing to fund the project, it took seven years of engineering, testing, and perseverance. Drevet notably put his idea to the test for months… in a bathtub! The French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) subsequently provided the inventor with a testing tank equipped with a wave and current simulator to test this undulating membrane using a 1/6th scale model.
Mass production by the end of 2019
Cost is among the strengths of this machine. Indeed, manufacturing this tidal turbine is expected to cost 30,000 euros for an energy output of 2 to 3 kilowatts, enough to supply electricity to about ten homes. By accurately defining tide schedules, it will be possible to measure the electricity produced. This costs less than 150 euros per megawatt-hour, and this cost price could very well be further optimized through mass production capable of initiating a virtuous circle.
To achieve this goal, the startup intends to approach the Hauts-de-France region to request funding that could amount to 3 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). For comparison, the cost of nuclear energy generated by an EPR is close to 100 euros/MWh. Eel Energy’s first commercial prototype was recently successfully tested at Ifremer in Boulogne-sur-Mer. As for the first marketable models of this innovative tidal turbine, they should be released at the end of 2019. Furthermore, sea trials are planned for next May, specifically in the Brest roadstead, on a new tidal turbine. Other experiments will also be conducted in the Canal du Nord by the end of 2019.
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