Turning the tides: Could hidden sea power energise our coastal towns?

Engineer David Mummery has developed a compact tidal turbine that he hopes could give coastal communities a practical way to generate their own electricity. The 50-kilowatt Swimmer Turbine is designed to be assembled and installed by local workers, potentially bringing energy production and skills closer to the places that need them.

Anchored to the seabed and hidden below the surface, one turbine can produce enough electricity for about 30 homes. It is smaller and intended to cost less than large tidal projects in Scotland, including MeyGen’s four 1.5-megawatt turbines. Mummery began developing the idea after working on marine energy projects, including the Pelamis wave machine, which generated power for the national grid before its developer entered administration in 2014.