The Race Rocks Tidal Power Demonstration Project (official name: Pearson College – EnCana – Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks) is a joint project of the Lester B. Pearson College, EnCana Corporation and Clean Current Power Systems Incorporated to use tidal power at Race Rocks near Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. The Race Rocks Tidal Current Generator was installed from July to September 2006, and it was planned to replace two diesel generators at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. It was the first in-stream tidal current generator in North America. The water lubricated bearing system did not perform as expected, and the prototype was decommissioned in May 2007, so that the bearing system can be redesigned. 

 The 65-kW direct drive variable speed permanent magnet generator with bi-directional ducted horizontal axis turbine was placed at the depth of 19 metres (62 ft) to 22 metres (72 ft) and cost in excess of $3,000,000. 

Infinite Electricity Ltd could have achieved the same power for about £65,000 

Take for example the 1.2 MW tidal project in Ramsey Sound.  Its capital costs are about £11,000,000. This is a complicated structure in a harsh environment. Not easy to install as underwater currents need to be high and it is difficult to fix structures under water.   

 Infinite Energy Ltd believes in KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) so do it the easy way. Develop the lower hanging fruit first! We can produce the same 1.2MW using our surface mounted generation unit at a significantly lower capital cost, and if it fails for any reason, it can be exchanged or brought back to shore for repair. The units can be added to or moved on to areas of higher tidal flows.  If a unit becomes obstructive, it can be moved just like moving a boat – Mostly floating in estuaries, attached to the banks out of the way, but still sheltered from the winter storms. The larger units can be moored offshore. 

Severn Barrage scheme costs £20 Bn to build a 10-mile-long dam with 214 x 40MW water turbines.  That’s 8,560 MW of installed capacity that changes the local environment by flooding the upstream marsh lands. 

 Infinite Electricity Ltd can achieve the same – and in fact considerably more power – without the civil works by using floating units that generate much more power for considerably less!  In fact, so much power generation in one place is not good for the electrical distribution system. Infinite Electricity Ltd, by using the time difference of 4 hours between the tides in North Wales to those in South Wales can flatten the power curve and spread the power geographically. So, the North generates when its slack water down South and vice versa. 

Mae Prosiect Arddangos Pŵer Llanw Race Rocks, yn swyddogol enwir Prosiect Arddangos Pŵer Llanw Pearson College – EnCana – Clean Current at Race Rocks, yn ymdrech gydweithredol sy’n cynnwys Coleg Lester B. Pearson, Corfforaeth EnCana, a Clean Current Power Systems Incorporated. Wedi’i leoli ger Victoria, Columbia Brydeinig, Canada, mae’r prosiect yn anelu at ddefnyddio pŵer llanw yn Race Rocks. Cynhaliwyd gosod y Generadur Cyfredol Llanw Race Rocks o fis Gorffennaf tan fis Medi 2006, gyda’r bwriad o ddisodli dwy gynhyrchydd diesel yn Gwarchodfa Ecolegol Race Rocks. Arweiniodd y gosodiad hwn at gyflwyniad trydanol ym mhrif ymestyn llanw yn Gogledd America. Fodd bynnag, oherwydd bod y system llechiwch dwr yn methu â chyflawni fel y disgwyliwyd, cafodd y prototeip ei ddadgymell ym mis Mai 2007 at ddibenion ailgynllunio. 

Roedd y generadur, sef generadur man cymhleth 65KW sy’n defnyddio cymysgedd o magnet parhaol gyda thwbîn cymhleth a dynnol dwbl, wedi’i leoli ar ddyfnderoedd rhwng 19 metr (62 troedfedd) a 22 metr (72 troedfedd) ac a gostiodd dros $3,000,000. Mae Infinite Electricity Ltd yn amcangyfrif y gallent fod wedi cyflawni ymddygiad ynni cyfatebol am tua £65,000. 

Ystyriwch enghraifft arall, prosiect llanw 1.2MW yn Sound Ramsey, gyda chostau cyfalaf oddeutu £11,000,000. Mae’r strwythur cymhleth hwn mewn amgylchedd heriol yn peri anawsterau wrth osod oherwydd llanw dan dŵr uchel a chymhlethdodau fesul gosod strwythurau dan dŵr. 

Mae Infinite Energy Ltd yn cadw at egwyddor KISS (Cadwch Ef Einfal – Stwp) ac yn dadlau dros ddull mwy syml. Maent yn blaenoriaethu datblygu’r cyfleisiau isaf yn gyntaf, gan ddewis unedau cynhyrchu gosod arwynebau. Mae’r unedau hyn yn cynnig yr un allbwn pŵer ond am gostau cyfalaf yn sylweddol is. At hynny, maent yn cynnig hyblygrwydd gan y gellir eu cyfnewid, eu trwsio ar y tir, neu eu symud i ardaloedd gyda llanw mwy. Trwy fwyaf am lefel y môr ac yn cael eu moes yn arfordiroedd, mae’r unedau hyn yn llai aflonyddol i’r amgylchedd o’i gymharu â phrosiectau peirianneg sifil ar raddfa fawr fel cynllun Barrage Severn, sy’n newid yr amgylchedd lleol ac yn dod â chostau trwm. 

Mae dull Infinite Electricity Ltd nid yn unig yn cyflawni allbwn pŵer cymharol neu fwy heb angen gweithiau sifil estynedig, ond hefyd yn mynd i’r afael â phryderon ynghylch pwysau ar y system dosbarthu trydan drwy ddefnyddio gwahaniaethau daearyddol mewn patrymau llanw i leihau’r cam bŵer a dosbarthu pŵer yn fwy cyfartal rhwng ardaloedd.