The Ocean Energy Report - Ed 4 - 2009

Abstract

Introduction

The last two years have been eventful for ocean energy development, with several commercial “firsts”, encouraging demonstration projects. The industry is now blazing the trail with the first commercial projects. The United Kingdom, specifically Scotland, is emerging as a global leader in developing the technology, with government backing. The UK has the ocean energy resources, a long relationship with the sea and outstanding inventive talent. The first country to commercialise this British invention on a significant scale is Portugal. After sea trials starting in 2004, the first major commercial installation of the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter took place in Portuguese waters, and wave energy came to life. First tested in 2000, in 2004 Wavegen, an OWC (oscillating water column), is being tested to provide power to the Faroe Islands. In 2003 Wave Dragon, a floating Tapchan, demonstrated its survivability off Norway. On the other side of the world, Korea is embarking on a series of tidal barrages, starting with the 254 Mw Shiwah Barrage which will be the largest in the world, due for commissioning in 2009 overtaking La Rance in France.

So far four technologies have been at the forefront of experimentation, Tidal Barrages, Wave Energy, Tidal or Marine Current Power, and OTEC, but a fifth has been know about for some years, although it has largely been ignored and few people have heard of it. This is the Salinity Gradient, which exploits the osmotic pressure difference between fresh water and sea water. It has the largest potential energy capacity of any of the ocean energy conversion technologies and is now attracting attention. Learn about it in this Report.

Ocean energy is mostly in an experimental stage but some of its component technologies have the potential to become mainstream energy sources and are now being trialled. Many ideas have been generated and a lot of experimental projects are being funded both by governments and commercially. Until recently it was commonly said that energy can be harvested from the oceans in four ways, but now it is five:

• Tidal Energy
• Wave Energy
• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
• Marine Current Energy, and
• Salinity Gradient

Report Scope:

The report outlines these technologies, with their state of development as technologies and industries. The report focuses on a small number of exciting new developments. The status of each industry is described in each country where it has a base or is under trial, and the state of commercialisation. A key fact now emerging is the need to transfer technology and know-how from the offshore industry to the new marine renewable energy industry. The offshore oil and gas industry has already contributed substantially to the development of offshore wind power technology (See ABS Wind Report). No country is better equipped to exploit this than the UK. It is also becoming clear to many companies in the offshore oil & gas industry that with resource depletion, their future lies in a capability to diversify their skills and services into other business sectors, one being off-shore renewable energy sources. This synchronicity is a key driver to the development of ocean energy conversion.