A small island in the Bay of Bengal may one day be awash with electricity, thanks to Murdoch researchers introducing tidal power to the community.

Though situated a mere 15 kilometres from the mainland, electricity use on Sandwip Island is limited to a few businesses sharing an old diesel system.

Professor Peter Newman and researchers from the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy believe that they have found a way to harness energy for the 330,000 island residents from the five metre tides.

Although tidal power dates back to at least the eleventh Century, this cheap and renewable energy source is rarely used, due to the high cost of installation for large scale projects.

However ISTP researchers believe that paddle wheels can be incorporated into sluice gates in the flood control barrage surrounding the island, producing energy for a much lower cost.

“The proposed system could create around 3MW of power, which would enable everyone to have some lighting, a black and white TV and some power tools for a workshop,” said Professor Newman.

“It could also help in threshing rice or irrigation pumping.”

PhD student Dr Mark Ellery is currently in Bangladesh, where he will install the first paddle wheel as a working model for the project.

Six PhD students have become involved since Professor Newman began to investigate the potential of this project last year, five of whom are from Bangladesh. The ISTP has been selected by the government of Bangladesh as a preferred training institution for their doctoral students.

“I like to base their research in issues that are real and can contribute to their country in the long term,” Professor Newman said.

Their research projects all stem from the tidal project, examining the environmental, social and economic implications of bringing electricity to the island in this way.

Other aspects of the project include new possibilities for shrimp farming through deepening the channels and ponds on the island to accommodate the system. It may also be used to improve both navigation and flood control.

The project is jointly being developed with the International Centre for Solar Energy (CASE) and Tidal Energy Australia (who are developing tidal power in Derby).

There has been considerable local interest in the project including local groups, government and private enterprise organisations within Bangladesh (including the Grameen Bank), and the UN Development Program.

The local chair of the project, Professor Ibrahim from Daccha University said, “Bangladeshis have been looking to develop renewable energy but we never thought to use our mud and tides; and we love to play in the mud!”

If this tidal power demonstration is successful, the ISTP hopes to use Sandwip Island as an example for other coastal locations.

“The potential to expand and extend the concept to other parts of Bangladesh and India is obvious, though the global significance of the project still needs to be assessed,” said Professor Newman.

“It is also ironic that climate change predictions suggest low-lying areas of Bangladesh would be more susceptible to flooding in the future.

“Increased tides mean that global warming could be an advantage for Bangladesh – though only if the opportunity to adapt the coast with renewable energy engineering is grasped.”