Energy

Hydroelectric

Energy from the sea

Energy of tides

We all know the strong pull of the Moon on water. From the regular raising and lowering of water mass it is possible to obtain energy. In order to build a tide-based power plant the estuary is barred towards the sea with an artificial damn.
The energy technique exploits the difference in height between high and low tide: the so-called amplitude of tide. Obviously the amplitude of the tide has to be sufficient, as it happens in Northern France, close to Saint Malo, where the difference between the minimum level and the maximum level of the water is 12-13 metres. The hydroelectric power plant of La Rance, France, has been producing 240 MW for almost 35 years.