Objective
The main objective is to produce an Atlas of wave energy resources off the coasts of EC member states and Norway - thus facilitating the evaluation of wave power resources and planning of their utilisation. WERATLAS also has the objectives of standardizing the wave energy statistics, collecting offshore resource data to be used in the design of wave energy devices and model testing and providing relevant data for other users of the ocean.
Deliverables include:
1. PC-Atlas (magnetic medium) of wave and wave energy resources in Europe, 2. Atlas manual and brochures containing maps and printed statistics of offshore European resources, along the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Sea and Norwegian
3. Sea coasts, as well as (iv) a study of the temporal and spatial variability of wave conditions in the North Atlantic, based on satellite altimeter measurements and (v) sets of representative full directional spectra for several locations.
The evaluation and characterization of the European wave energy resource has not been done so far. Only a few member-states have undertaken such studies although using different sources of data with different accuracy. The evaluation of the resource and of the wave statistics required for the planning of wave energy utilization as well as for the power plant preliminary design, using a high-quality homogeneous data set, is of great value for the wave energy community and other users of the ocean.
Three main lines of work are identifiable. The first line is related with wave data collection. Offshore wave data (in-situ measurements by buoys, estimates by numerical wind-wave models and satellite data) will be gathered. A comparison between estimates and measurements, for most of the European areas where wave energy utilisation is promising, will be undertaken. This will allow the selection of a Data Set containing results of wind-wave model(s).
The second line of work is the development of a PC-Atlas environment. The Wave Energy Resource Atlas will be presented as an user-friendly software package to be run, at least, in IBM-compatible microcomputers, permitting fast retrieval of information, saving and printing of statistics and maps. It may be easily updated in a later follow-on Project, to include longer and more detailed data sets and statistics.
The third line of work concerns the wave energy statistics. Standard statistics will be defined and implemented as a software package. A Synoptic Information Set formed by these standard statistics will be created. The Atlas will be produced as a result of the integration of the Synoptic Information Set within the PC-Atlas environment. The European wave energy resource will be computed from the Atlas.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
1649-038 LISBOA
Portugal