Wave Power

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Wave Power

• The Renewable Future for the UK

2
Wave Power

• Waves are created by interaction with wind on the
  surface of the water.
• The wind blows across the Atlantic Ocean all the
  way from America.
• This large distance means the UK has one of the
  highest wave power levels in the world.

3

Wave Power - The Resource
European Wave Resource Chart The chart shows
annual average wave power in kilowatts per metre
of crest width for various European sites. (Ocean
Power Delivery Limited, 2005)
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Wave Power The Potential

• There is sufficient energy breaking on the UK
  shoreline to power the country three times over.
• However, it is not practical to recover all the
  energy.
• The economically recoverable resource for the UK
  has been estimated to be 87 TWh/y-1.

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Wave Power The Technology

• There are two major areas of wave power
• Shore-line
• Offshore
• The wave industry has many technologies striving
  for success, very few will, however, eventually
  achieve commercialisation.

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Wave Power The Devices
There are two current potential commercial
technologies. One is shoreline and the other is
offshore.

• The Limpet - Wavegen (Shoreline)
• The Pelamis - OPD (Offshore)

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Wave Power The Technology

• Pelamis has a generating capacity of 750 kW
• The Pelamis is a semi-submerged structure.
  Wave-induced motion of hinged joints is resisted
  by hydraulic rams. This pumps oil through
  hydraulic motors which drive electrical
  generators giving electricity.

• Limpet has a generating capacity of 500 kW and
  currently powers 300 homes in Islay.
• Limpet uses the Oscillating Water Column
  Technology. This relies on the motion of the
  waves compressing and sucking air through a
  turbine which powers a generator.

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Wave Power The PredictionsOFFSHORE

• The Pelamis will not be ready to go commercial
  for another 5 years from present.

• Due to this the prediction for offshore is
• 0 PJ

2010
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Wave Power The PredictionsOFFSHORE

• Due to scale of Pelamis I predict there will be a
  yearly build rate of 200 devices each taking 3
  months to build.
• Load factor will be less than wind 0.2
• This is generation in 5 years-

• 200 x 750 150 000 kW
• 150 000 x 0.2 x 8736
• 262 080 000 kWh x 5
• 1 310 400 000 / 1000
• 1 310 400 MWh/y-1
• Or
• 4.72 PJ

2015
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Wave Power The PredictionsOFFSHORE

• I predict that in 5 years from the initial phase
  of commercialisation the amount of energy
  generated will double due to and increase in the
  number of wave farms

• 2000 devices deployed
• 1 310 400 1 310 400
• 2 620 800 MWh/y-1
• Or
• 9.43 PJ

2020
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Wave Power The PredictionsOFFSHORE

• 3000 devices deployed
• 1 310 400 x 3
• 3 931 200 MWh/y-1
• Or
• 14.15 PJ
• 4000 devices deployed
• 1 310 400 x 4
• 5 241 600
• Or
• 18.87 PJ

• Again I believe that in 2025 and 2030 the
  industry will remain at a constant increase as
  although manufacture may improve the number of
  suitable locations may decrease due to adverse
  effects on shipping and other activities.

2025 2030
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Wave Power The PredictionsOFFSHORE

• The energy consumption for the UK is 10500 PJ per
  year.
• With Offshore Wave power producing 18.87 PJ

It would therefore be able to contribute 0.17
of the UK's needs.
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Wave Power The PredictionsSHORELINE

• These devices again are unlikely to be fully
  commercial until after 2010
• The prediction is 0MW.

2010
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Wave Power The PredictionsSHORELINE
Scottish coastline length 16,491 km Spacing of
devices 1 device 1 km

• The major constraint for this type of shore
  based technology is location.
• These devices can only be built into hard rock.
  The South and the East coastlines, excluding
  Cornwall, are therefore not ideal.
• Pembrokeshire and West Scotland are good
  locations.

Build scale of around 30 per year This would
take up 30 km/y-1
A maximum number of devices is 16, 491.

• 10 of coastline is probably optimal.
• This is equal to 1649 devices

30 devices every year for 20 years 600 devices
by 2030
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Wave Power The PredictionsSHORELINE

• 600 x 500
• 300000kW/1000
• 300 MW
• 300 x 0.2 x 8736
• 524160 MWh/y-1
• 1.89 PJ
• This works out at
• 0.0179
• of the UKs demand

• By 2030 the Onshore wave industry will be
  generating 0.0001456 PJ
• As discussed earlier the major limiting factor
  for this technology is space.
• Large opposition would be created if it was
  proposed to put wave plants every 100 m along the
  coast.
• This wave plant also has a lower load factor than
  wind.

2030
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Wave Power The PredictionsTogether

• Together Offshore wave and onshore wave can
  produce 20.76 PJ by 2030.
• This works out at
• 0.2 of the UKs energy demand

2030
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Wave Power - Major Restrictions

• Costs
• Competition with lower cost technologies.
• Technology
• Force of the sea (Osprey)
• Transmission
• Fewer potential sites
• Higher installation costs
• Individual projects (economies of scale)

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Wave Power

• The Renewable Future for the UK

THE END