Tidal power still lags far behind wind and solar in its contribution to renewable energy. A new academic review by shows that this is not because tidal energy is weak — in fact, it is shockingly strong — but because research and investment have simply not kept pace.
The authors analysed 791 scientific studies on tidal current power, mapping the global state of the field and identifying the technologies most likely to finally make tidal energy affordable, reliable, and scalable. Their message is clear: Northern Europe and Canada can produce large amounts of predictable renewable energy — if the right engineering problems are solved.
Why the North Should Lead
Tidal power is particularly valuable in northern latitudes:
- Predictable — tides arrive twice a day, every day
- High resource density — fast currents in narrow channels (fjords, archipelagos)
- Grid-friendly — unlike wind and solar, output is stable and forecastable
Research shows exceptional potential in:
- Pentland Firth, Scotland — up to 5.3 GW technically extractable
- Johnstone Strait, British Columbia — over 1.3 GW
- Grand Passage & Bay of Fundy, Canada — among the strongest currents on Earth
- Norway’s coastal channels — strong flows, existing marine industries, deep-water know-how
The challenge is not whether the energy exists — the challenge is how to capture it efficiently.
The Four Breakthrough Areas That Matter Most
The authors found that nearly all modern tidal research falls into four urgent themes — and all four lead to real improvements in efficiency and cost.
1. Turbulence Analysis: Surviving Harsh Northern Waters
Northern tidal sites are energetic, unpredictable, and turbulent. Turbine blades must survive:
- high-speed flow,
- violent wake structures,
- variable loading.
Field studies in Canada (Grand Passage, Nova Scotia) used acoustic Doppler instruments to measure turbulence and showed that energy output — and turbine lifespan — can vary drastically with local flow conditions (). The takeaway: designs that ignore turbulence will fail or underperform, but precise turbulence measurement leads to longer-lasting, more efficient turbines.
2. Smarter Turbine Design
The review highlights several advances now proving their value in northern waters:
- Passive pitch control — automatically reduces stress in rough seas while keeping power output high
- Vortex generators — tiny fin-like devices that increase power coefficient by up to 5%
- Composite blades engineered for seawater — improved fatigue performance for multi-year deployment
These innovations directly reduce maintenance costs — a crucial factor for remote Scottish islands, Canada’s west coast, and Arctic communities.
3. Resource Assessment: Knowing Where to Build
A major finding of the paper is that location matters more than turbine type. Some channels produce 10 times more usable power than rough national maps suggest (). Fine-scale modelling in:
- Johnstone Strait (Canada): 1,335 MW extractable
- Pentland Firth (Scotland): up to 5.3 GW
Better measurement = fewer turbines, more power, lower cost.
4. Real Feasibility: How Many Turbines Is “Too Many”?
A striking insight: if too many turbines are placed in one strait, the flow itself slows down, and total power falls (). The sweet spot is usually three rows of turbines across a channel, after which efficiency drops.
This matters enormously for Arctic and North Atlantic sites — the goal is not maximum hardware, but maximum flow-through.
Why This Matters for Northern Europe and Canada
The study argues that tidal power remains underdeveloped despite having the most predictable output of any renewable (). Wind and solar get the investment; marine power remains outside the spotlight.
But in Norway, Scotland, the Faroes, and Atlantic Canada, tidal offers something unique:
- huge resources close to shore,
- engineering experience from oil, gas, and offshore wind,
- remote communities still dependent on diesel.
The paper suggests that if turbulence modelling, blade durability, and smart turbine spacing are applied together, tidal power in these regions becomes technically and economically competitive.
What Needs to Happen Next (According to the Study)
The authors call for:
- More experimental deployments, not just simulations
- AI-assisted control systems to adapt to changing flow
- High-resolution seabed mapping to cut uncertainty in site selection
- Life-cycle cost analysis, especially in remote northern grids
Every one of these factors increases energy per turbine and reduces cost per kilowatt.
The Big Picture
From the Norwegian perspective, the message is powerful:
- The energy is there
- The technology works
- The engineering pathway is now clear
Northern Europe and Canada have some of the strongest tidal resources on Earth — and this new research shows they can be used far more efficiently than current practice allows.
Source
Bibliometric analysis of tidal energy: Trends in tidal turbine design, resource assessment, turbulence, and feasibility analysis, International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, 2025-10-27
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