Experts take in-depth look at tides

Nearly 100 experts from across North West Europe have converged on the Port of Dover at the conclusion of a three-year study into generating green tidal energy.

The delegates - all leaders in their fields - were in town for a two day Pro-Tide conference last week which scrutinised the results of tests and analysis carried out in Dover, the Isle of Wight, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

More than 20 speakers talked industry, shipping and environmental specialists through their findings in a series of seminars and presentations.

Ben de Reu, member of the Executive Council of the Province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, said: "The cooperation with the other Pro-Tide partners has led to new opportunities to share knowledge, to see first-hand innovative developments, to discuss new findings with experts from different countries and to form new alliances."

Vicki Jago, the Port of Dover's environmental manager who hosted of the conference, said: "The Pro-Tide project has been focussing on getting power from sites that have relatively low flow rates and tidal ranges.

"It's been different to other tidal energy projects because it's been studying systems that could work closer to the shore, in estuaries and tidal rivers, and alongside coastal defences.

"The results, presented last week, suggest projects in these locations really do have the potential to supply us with green energy."

As part of a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, the Port of Dover has been looking to develop a small tidal energy array within the harbour, and will feed the findings from the Pro-Tide conference into its feasibility study - focusing on device performance, environmental constraints, and cost-effectiveness.

Tidal power is an important form of renewable energy. Unlike solar or wind power, it doesn't rely on specific weather to be effective - it is predictable 365 days a year.