Paris Looks To The Seine For Power

Paris is a city known for romance

Paris is a city known for romance. One of the attractions has always been its Seine river, the river that runs through the centre of the city. Not only did the river inspire artists such as Monet, Matisse and British painter Turner, it has recently inspired a new form of energy.

City hall has devised a plan that will call for eight turbines to be installed underneath the city's famous bridges in order to raise energy from the Seine's currents.

A study was done by the city's urban ecology service in order to identify potential sites for two energy-collecting machines in the French waterways. Four sites have been identified as the Pont du Garigliano, the Pont de la Tournelle, the Pont Marie and the Pont au Change.

"At these places the current speeds up a little," said deputy mayor, Denis Baupin. "The idea is to locate all the natural power sources that we have in Paris and that we might be able to exploit."

Authorities say that this project is aimed more so at raising awareness of renewable energy than it is aimed at powering the city.

"We're not expecting the moon and the stars with these techniques, but the educational impact of these experiments is just as important," Baupin said. "Vlib has made Parisians realise they can use cycles in the city, and these renewable energy schemes will make them aware of the need to watch what they consume."

Members of the committee are urging power companies to come up with projects in order to install these turbines and to submit them in order to be considered for the project. Interested parties have until autumn to submit their proposals. The company with the most suitable plan will be announced next January. They hope to have the first turbines installed by next spring. The French energy company, EDF, has already eyed the project and went so far as to call the idea "interesting."

The idea has gotten mixed reviews. One reader of Le Parisien said, "Bravo! Let's hope the local authorities and fishing community understand the importance of this kind of energy."

"We're going to throw a fortune into useless hydroliennes," another commented. "Their cost will be considerably higher than the electricity produced. All that to be 'educational'?"

This concept is not a new one as an underwater turbine have already been placed under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif.

by: Marcus Gallon

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