Magallanes Renovables is one of the few companies that use tidal energy to generate clean power. It all started when Alejandro Marques de Magallanes went diving with friends in the Strait of Gibraltar. Suddenly, he couldn’t surface due to the strong currents. After that, a question lingered in his mind: How could the force of tides be harnessed to generate energy? Years later, Alejandro became an entrepreneur in the textile sector. He began collaborating with the School of Industrial Engineers in Vigo. He proposed to them to research tidal energy and found Magallanes Renovables in 2007. Now, the Galician company is now one of the few worldwide on the verge of achieving it.

The Atir platform is anchored in the waters of the Orkney Islands, the archipelago located north of Scotland. It is one of the two prototypes being tested to explore the viability of a new renewable energy source. The idea is simple, two rotors hidden beneath the platform move the ocean currents. They are like wind turbines in wind energy, but instead of harnessing the force of the wind, they utilize the power of the ocean. Alejandro Marques, the founder’s son and director of development and business, explains the advantages of tidal energy. ‘The currents generated by tides occur every six hours every day of the year. There is no renewable resource that is as predictable as this one. The platform has the capacity to generate 1.5 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to around 1,500 homes.”