Clean Current and the Environment

 

Environmentally Friendly features of Clean Current Technology

• Zero emissions of any kind, greenhouse or other.

• Direct drive eliminates the use of a gearbox and drive shaft, normally lubricated with hydrocarbons.

• Ducted blade tip prevents accidental injury to sea life that is trying to avoid the blades.

• The footprint of each turbine generator in a power farm is small.

• Strong currents carry many nutrients so that any sea life disturbed on the ocean bottom during deployment will quickly regenerate.

• The generator will emit a low frequency sound when it is operating and this frequency will not interfere with sea mammal communication.

• Clean Current's unique design has a large hole in the centre of the rotor. In commercial scale models this hole will exceed 4 metres in diameter. Fish and sea mammals that frequent fast moving waters are very adept at avoiding collisions and would normally swim around the unit. There is no suction involved so avoiding the unit altogether would be the normal situation. In the unlikely event that a fish or sea mammal entered the duct area the large hole provides an escape route.

• The turbine generator is mounted on a post and is not visible from the surface. A minimum clearance of 15 metres is provided to ensure that commercial navigation is not impeded.