Rance Tidal Power Station
The Rance Tidal Power Station is a tidal power station located on the estuary of the Rance River in Brittany, France.
| Rance Tidal Power Station | |
|---|---|
Aerial photograph of the Rance Tidal Power Station | |
Location of Rance Tidal Power Station in France | |
| Official name | Usine marémotrice de la Rance |
| Country | France |
| Location | Brittany |
| Coordinates | 48°37′05″N 02°01′24″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 26 July 1963 |
| Opening date | 26 November 1966 |
| Construction cost | ₣620 million |
| Owner(s) | Électricité de France |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Barrage |
| Length | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Tidal range | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Type | Tidal barrage |
| Turbines | 24 |
| Installed capacity | 240 MW |
| Capacity factor | 28% |
| Annual generation | 500 GWh |
Opened in 1966 as the world's first tidal power station, it is currently operated by Électricité de France and was for 45 years the largest tidal power station in the world by installed capacity until the South Korean Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station surpassed it in 2011.
Its 24 turbines reach peak output at 240 megawatts (MW) and average 57 MW, a capacity factor of approximately 24%. At an annual output of approximately 500 GWh (491 GWh in 2009, 523 GWh in 2010), it supplies 0.12% of the power demand of France. The power density is of the order of 2.6 kW/m2. The cost of electricity production is estimated at €0.12/kWh.
The barrage is 750 m (2,461 ft) long, from Brebis point in the west to Briantais point in the east. The power plant portion of the dam is 332.5 m (1,091 ft) long and the tidal basin measures 22.5 km2 (9 sq mi).