Marine energy

70 percent of the surface of the "blue planet" earth is covered with water. The water on the earth is constantly moving. Not only the rivers flow but there are also various currents in seas and lakes.

Use of water power in rivers has a very long history. Water mills have supplied energy for agriculture since the Middle Ages and later for industry too. In Germany electricity has been produced from water power since the late 19th century.

Energy production from the sea on the other hand is a very new development. The currents which occur in the sea can be used in different ways. There are large ocean currents, such as the Gulf Stream, the flow of ebb and tide (tidal streams) and the flow of individual waves (wave streams). Special power stations are used for each of these types of stream.