What is wave energy?
Wave power is defined by Wikipedia as “The transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Machinery able to exploit wave power is generally known as a wave energy converter (WEC).”
Wave energy has the benefits of being:
- More reliable and less variable than other forms of renewable energy such as wind.
- Easy to forecast. Computer models can accurately forecast swells several days in advance.
- A clean, zero-emission renewable energy source.
Wave Resource
Based in Galway on the west coast of Ireland, Sea Power Ltd is located on the edge of the North Atlantic Ocean energy hotspot. The wave energy regime off our western coastline is one of the best in the world, as illustrated in the map below which shows the annual average wave power in Kilowatts per metre of crest width.
Globally, the areas with the most potential for wave power include the western seaboard of Europe stretching from Norway to Spain, and the Pacific coastlines of Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and Southern Africa. However wave energy devices can be scaled to match the resource of the region and are suitable for any area with an annual wave average of over 15kW per metre. This implies a hugely significant impact when used in conjunction with reverse osmosis plants for areas of the globe most in need of fresh water. Therefore, using a WEC in conjunction with reverse osmosis technology will have a huge impact on satisfying the global demand for drinking water.
The Draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan prepared by the Irish Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources conservatively “summarises the total amount of development that could potentially occur” for wave energy in Irish controlled waters as:
- 0 – 100meters water depth: 12,500MW – 13,600MW
- 100 – 200 meters water depth: 15,000MW – 17,500MW
- Total: 27,500MW – 31,100MW
The Time is Right
Declining traditional energy resources combined with a collective shift in focus towards the exploitation of sustainable and renewable energy resources has triggered interest and investment in wave energy.
The engineering challenges are being overcome, deployment costs are decreasing with research and innovation, and commercial wave farms are becoming a viable reality due to increased investment and economies of scale. Sea Power Ltd has learned from the mistakes of earlier device developers and has resolved many of the engineering issues through smaller scale trials and modeling. We are moving forward with our development programme in the certainty that our Sea Power Platform device will be a significant driver in the global wave energy industry.
