Hydroelectric power needs no introduction. Its financial requirements are enormous, but once the works are completed, the energy generated is very cheap. Toshiba plans to develop something similar to a middle ground with underwater turbines optimized to take advantage of the huge amount of energy in marine currents.
I recall that in the last episode of the first season of seaQuest, an underwater plant tried (and failed) to generate energy for the whole world. Personally, I'm not sure a single plant could do such a thing, but there's no doubt that there's an enormous amount of energy in our oceans, waiting to be properly harvested. That's how we get to Japan. Electricity consumption in the Asian country hasn't changed, but with the new anti-nuclear stance that took hold after the Fukushima disaster, public and private efforts are aimed at developing alternative sources.
Recently, the Japanese agency NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) selected Toshiba and the IHI Corporation to participate in the development of new technologies for generating energy from marine currents. In simple terms, the system of underwater turbines remains anchored to the seabed, and floats like a kind of kite (read: barrilete or estel). The plan is to present a "real" demonstration within one or two years, reaching project completion during fiscal year 2017. The IHI Corporation will design the turbine and the floating body, while Toshiba will be in charge of the entire electrical side, starting with the generator and transformer.
Needless to say, this project is ideal for a country like Japan. After all, it is an island, and any option that allows extracting energy from the ocean is certainly welcome. The official announcement from Toshiba was simple, but it carries the promise of exploiting a source that is efficient, renewable, clean, economical in the long run, and much safer. For now, the initiative hasn't left the laboratory, and there are no official calculations on installation and maintenance costs, however, we'll be on the lookout for more news.
