Japan is harnessing the power of the ocean

Whales, volcanoes, spider crabs, power turbines: one of these doesn’t naturally belong in the ocean, and it’s not the fish or volcanoes… though they’ll be sharing space soon enough.

Following a successful three-and-a-half year test, Japan plans to drop a massive 330-ton turbine power generator onto the ocean floor just off the country’s coast in a bid to source theoretically limitless renewable energy.

🌊 More deets… The current plan is for the 65-foot-long and 65-foot-wide generator to be anchored and float ~150 feet below sea level in the Kuroshio Current, one of the world’s strongest along Japan’s eastern coast.

• The device is kept in place by the anchor and dual-turbine blades, which both generate energy and keep the machine steady in one location.
• When tethered to the ocean floor by an anchor line and power cables, it can actually orient itself to find the most efficient position to generate power from the current, then channel it into a grid.
• If the energy present in the current could be harnessed, it could generate an estimated 205 gigawatts of electricity, roughly 80% of Japan’s current generating capacity.

✋ Yes, but: The ocean has a mind of its own; previous attempts to wring energy from the high seas have usually ended in failure. High engineering costs, environmental limitations, and distance from the grid are just a few of the challenges that are needed to overcome.

🔌 The bottom line: Resource-poor Japan imports 93% of its energy, meaning its grid is extremely vulnerable. And with public sentiment towards nuclear power in the country going south following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, a slew of underwater turbines could make a big difference.