Japan has developed underwater turbine power generators weighing 330 tons

The IHI Group, which manufactures industrial equipment, ships, aircraft engines and other equipment, has tested an underwater turbine. This unit is capable of generating electricity using powerful deep-sea currents. During the test tests, the device was able to generate 100 kW of energy.



The turbine was named Kairyu. It weighs about 330 tons. The unit has a body the size of an airplane. With the help of this fuselage, a pair of turbine fans is connected, the blades of which move in opposite directions. This design makes it possible to place the turbine at a depth of 30-50 m to the ocean floor.



The turbine was placed off the eastern coast of Japan, where the most powerful ocean currents on the planet pass. In demonstration tests earlier this year, the equipment was able to produce 100 kW of stable electrical energy. According to Bloomberg, IHI Group wants to reach the 2 mW mark in the next test. The commercial application of the turbine should start in the early 2030s.

At the moment, Japan is also exploring other options in the marine energy industry: the dynamics of ebbs and flows, the transformation of ocean heat, when the temperature difference between cold and warm ocean water is used to generate electricity.