Atlas of wave energy resource in Europe

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: JOU20390

Start date 1 February 1994

End date 31 July 1996

Funded under

• Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1990-1994

Total cost € 0,00

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

NATIONAL LABORATORY FOR ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
Portugal

Exploitable results

Atlas of wave energy resources in Europe

European wave energy resources have not been well characterized. Detailed studieshave been undertaken in only a few Member States, and using differentmethodologies and data sources. Evaluation of the wave energy resource using ahigh-quality uniform dataset will be of great value for the wave energy communityand other ocean users. In particular, better wave statistics will help in the planningof wave energy utilization and the preliminary design of wave energy power plants.This project aimed to produce a comprehensive atlas of the wave energy resourcesoff the coasts of EU Member States and Norway.

A wave climate analysis study

As part of the study to assess Irish coastal locations for potential wave energy converter sites a wave climate analysis study was conducted at specific stations. Based on the British Meteorological Office's Model, hindcast datasets of power duration curves, time series plots and directional occurrence graphs were produced at 3 separate locations and 5 sites. Results have shown that there is both a temporal and spatial variation in wave climate that must be accommodated when assessing wave energy locations. Significant differences between locations which are relatively close together were found with no obvious commonality connection to explain the changes at one site with another. The variability of wave climate and hence power levels from year to year is also highlighted, in one case being as much as a 100% increase within a 5 year separation. In the shorter time scale the 12 hourly individual records showed wave energy converters will experience instantaneous power levels which are over 100 times the average for sustained periods offshore. The investigation showed how restricted and occasionally misleading reliance on statistics such as means can be. Engineers attempting to construct devices require a knowledge of these extremes and also the power level variations. Close liaison between the oceanographers and engineers is essential if successful, reliable converters are to be built.