New steps will be taken to develop green energy on islands; 120-kilowatt tidal power stations are to be built in Daishan

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New efforts will be made to develop green energy on islands; a 120-kilowatt tidal power station is to be built in Daishan. The Gaoting Shipyard in Daishan County has learned that, given its existing technical expertise in building tidal power stations, the 120-kilowatt tidal power station project developed through cooperation between China and Italy is set to begin construction at this yard early this year. The power generation capacity of this station is three times that of the Gaoting Xianzhou Bridge Power Station, which was built as part of the “863” project; the budget for this project is around 4 million yuan. 　　It is understood that in November 2006, led by the World Industrial Development Organization, Italy and China signed a cooperation agreement in Rome to develop ocean current power generation projects. Under the agreement, Italy and China will, by establishing a joint venture, and based on renewable energy projects initiated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization as well as the technology of the Italian company Archimede Bridge, research and develop a prototype of a turbine platform that generates power from ocean currents. The Italian company Archimede Bridge will commission the Chinese side to produce prototypes of ocean current generators at Gaoting Shipyard, and to conduct power generation tests in the coastal areas near there. Harbin Engineering University will provide cooperation for this project and offer support in technical research. 　　According to a responsible official from the Daishan Science and Technology Bureau, China has a vast coastline with numerous islands, and it boasts the highest potential for tidal energy in the world. This energy is primarily concentrated in the Zhoushan area. The Jin Tang, Guanshan, and Xihoumen waterways in Zhoushan have an average power density of over 20 kilowatts per square meter. In particular, the Guanshanmen area in Daishan ranks first among the locations where tidal energy can be utilized worldwide. Moreover, the power shortage in Daishan has created a significant potential market, and both the local authorities and residents are highly enthusiastic about developing new energy sources. 　　As early as 1996, Daishan began collaborating with Harbin Engineering University on the implementation of the \"95\" science and technology research project titled \"70-kilowatt tidal current test power station,\" which was approved for evaluation in April 2002. In an effort to advance the experimental power station toward industrialization, in 2003, Daishan, together with Harbin Engineering University, submitted a follow-up project titled “Practical Application of Tidal Current Power Generation Experimental Power Station,” which was included in the **\"863\" Program**. After more than 2 years of effort, the subsequent project was successfully evaluated and received unanimous praise from the experts. The successful implementation of these two **level technology projects has provided relatively mature technical conditions for the establishment of the Sino-Italian cooperative tidal power project in Daishan. Last November, at the High-Tech Exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, the tidal power generation project caught the attention of Zhao Hongzhu, member of the Provincial Party Committee, and Lu Zushan, the governor; they listened to a presentation on the subject given by the person in charge of Gaoting Shipyard on site. At Gaoting Shipyard, technicians explained to the reporters the design of the tidal power station. Apart from a 6-meter-long rotor underwater, the main component of this power station is the platform above the water’s surface; it resembles a ship that is 10 meters long and 3 meters wide and high. Due to the uniqueness and cutting-edge nature of its power generation facilities, it not only generates electricity but also serves as a tourist attraction; once completed and put into operation, it can become an important tourist site and science education center in Daishan.