Turning waves into watts is among man's most enduring technological invention. Discussion on this matter took for 40 years. Time and time again attempts have been made to harness the both wave and tidal power, usually with little success. However,with advances in engineering in the past few years, the oceans have become an economically feasible source of energy, the state-of-the-art for tidal energy.

Philippines is reputed to be the second highest power rates in Asia. But the arrival of the marine current technology project with the help of the Italian government in 2009 will indeed bring down the costs of electricity in the country.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is embarking on a P90-million project to establish a technology-demonstration project on sea current for power generation of 150 kilowatts of electricity per hour. The Italian government will provide a grant for the  fabrication of the Kobold Turbine platform to be located at the Tanon Strait between Negros and Cebu islands.

Turbines shall be installed atop a barge moored  along the Tanon Strait and an undersea cable shall connect the turbine to the Philippine grid. The sea current shall propel the turbines whose kinetic energy shall be transformed into into electrical energy. This is really environment-friendly technology and if this project becomes succesful, many investors would be encouraged to tap this technology on numerous maritime straits in the country that would serve as alternatives sources of electrical energy.

The power plant will be operated using solar energy, then the power generated by marine current will be used to generate power for its operation.

Oceans may really hold an answer to the country's electricity crisis, reducing reliance on growing expensive crude oil and boost economic stability.  Technology for harnessing the motion of waves of 7,100 island in the Philippines is the only matter of great deal of thought. The country is surrounded by coastal waters, a good resource for marine current power.

Would you mind taking a glance on Philippine Geography:

Philippines Geography

      Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

      Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 122 00 E

      Map references: Southeast Asia

      Area:
                  total: 300,000 sq km
                  land: 298,170 sq km
                  water: 1,830 sq km

      Area—comparative: slightly larger than Arizona

      Land boundaries: 0 km

      Coastline: 36,289 km

      Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
      continental shelf: to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
      territorial sea:  irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by       1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea      up to 285 nm in breadth

      Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon                     (May to October)

      Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands

      Elevation extremes:
                  lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
                  highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m

      Natural resources: timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

      Land use:
              arable land: 19%
              permanent crops: 12%
              permanent pastures: 4%
              forests and woodland: 46%
              other: 19% (1993 est.)

      Irrigated land: 15,800 sq km (1993 est.)

      Natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to                                       six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes;                                                   destructive earthquakes;tsunamis

      Environment—current issues: uncontrolled deforestation in watershed areas; soil                                       erosion;  air and water pollution in Manila; increasing pollution of coastal                                mangrove swamps which are important fish breeding grounds

      Environment—international agreements:
                          party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous                               Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer                           Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
                          signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification 

///It is noted that in March 200, the Department of Energy devised a long-term plan of solar energy resource potential, wind electric potential, renewable energy, current energy  and carbon mitigation potential - towards wiser and efficient use of energy.

It is also noted that the country's ocean resource area is 1,000 square kilometers mainly due to its archipelagic nature. The country has huge ocean energy resource in form of ocean thermal, ocean current and ocean waves that could be harnessed for power generation. According to the study, by year 2012, Philippines will be the regional solar manufacturing expert hub in the world.