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mi's
cafes by the beach
waiting for our mealBarrage de la Rance (Power Plant)
Located a couple of kilometres from the centre of Dinard is a bridge that crosses the Rance Estuary. This impressive bridge links the towns of Dinard and St Malo, but it is the Usine Maremotrice de la Rance (power plant) connected to it that is most impressive.
Under the four-lane highway (168) there are 24 turbines whirring away, taking full advantage of the estuary's extremely high tidal range - a difference of 13.5 metres between high & low tides. This huge tide change ensures that the turbines are always moving, in turn producing 3% of the power consumed by Brittany.
The tidal power plant is a tourist attraction, with around 200,000 visitors stopping off each year to have a look. There is a parking area on the Dinard side (West) of the bridge and an information centre (which had of course just closed for lunch when we arrived!)
Also at the west end of the bridge there is a canal lock which allows passage of boats between the English Channel and the Rance.
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