RENEWABLE ENERGY
La Rance Tidal Power Station On the estuary of the Rance River in Brittany, France, sits one of the biggest, and oldest, tidal power projects in the world. The Rance Estuary has one of the world’ s highest tidal ranges at 13.5 metres. Ideas for the“ Usine marémotrice de la Rance” were born in the 19th Century, but work did not begin on the project until 1943.
La Rance Tidal Power Station began generating electricity in 1966 and today, the plant accounts for 40 % of the electricity generated in the Brittany region – around 500 GWh per year. The development of“ bulb” generators began specifically for this plant, and they are now used all over the world. In total, its development cost 620 million francs( around US $ 7bn in 2025). La Rance Tidal
Power Station
202 August 2025