Limits RegistryPUBLIC RECORD
Limits RegistryCommissioned by Électricité de France, the Rance station exploits a tidal range in the Rance estuary of up to about 8 meters, among the largest in the world, using 24 bulb turbines that can generate power on both the incoming and outgoing tide. It remains in operation today, 60 years after opening, and is often cited as a benchmark for the long operating lifespan achievable by tidal infrastructure.
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Commissioned by Électricité de France, the Rance station exploits a tidal range in the Rance estuary of up to about 8 meters, among the largest in the world, using 24 bulb turbines that can generate power on both the incoming and outgoing tide. It remains in operation today, 60 years after opening, and is often cited as a benchmark for the long operating lifespan achievable by tidal infrastructure.
The Rance Tidal Power Station on the Rance estuary in Brittany, France, began commercial operation in 1966 with a capacity of 240 MW, becoming the world's first tidal power station and, for 45 years, the largest by capacity until South Korea's Sihwa station surpassed it in 2011.
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Permanent ID limitsregistry.com/limits/LR-RANCE-TIDAL-FIRST
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Limits Registry. LR-RANCE-TIDAL-FIRST. Rance Tidal Power Station — world's first tidal power station. 2026.