Wave energy

Wave energy, which is a non-polluting and renewable source of energy, is created by natural conversion of part of the wind energy above the oceans. Wind energy is created by natural conversion of part of solar energy. Just below the ocean’s surface the wave energy flow is typically five times denser than the wind energy flow 20 m above the sea surface, and 10 to 30 times denser than the solar energy flow. Hence, there are good prospects for development of commercial wave-power plants, which in the future may become significant components for providing energy to many coastal nations.²⁴

Technological maturity of ocean energy

According to a report from the European Ocean Energy Association on the status of ocean energy the sector has improved strongly over the last 5 years. A number of large-scale test installations are under development in European and worldwide. There is only one ocean energy system in Europe which has been operating for many years. This is the tidal barrage system at La Rance, France which according to the European Ocean Energy Association has an installed power of 240 MW and produces an average of 600

GWh/year.Considering the harsh marine environment, the main challenge in the design of ocean energy systems is to achieve high reliability, low cost and safety. The learning experience during prototype testing is very expensive because of the high deployment and operational costs, especially for off-shore devices. One can distinguish five different types of ocean energy systems: wave energy, tidal energy, marine current energy, salinity energy, thermal energy. To date, wave and tidal energy are the most advanced types of ocean energy systems under development. (European Ocean Energy Association- SET Plan meeting 7^th May 2007)

At present, several companies are testing large-scale systems in real sea conditions using different technologies.

Wave Energy systems under development in Europe are:

• Limpet, Islay, UK

• European Pilot Plant, Azores, Portugal

• Pelamis, Orkneys, UK and Portugal

• Wave Bob, Ireland

• OE Buoy, Ireland

• FO³, Norway

• SSG, Norway

• Wavestar, Nissum Bredning, Denmark

• Wave Dragon, Nissum Bredning, Denmark Tidal Stream systems include:

• Marine Current Turbines; UK

• Ponte di Archimede, Italy

• Open Hydro, Ireland

24 NTNU Wave Research Group

At present there is no commercially leading technology amongst ocean energy conversion systems. Contrary to wind, it is expected that there will be different technologies

depending on the location.

Comparing the RD&D funding, the UK and the USA are in dominant positions.

Regarding the Nordic and Baltic countries, Norway holds afairly strong position (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Ocean Energy Technology RD&D projects in March 2006. Source: IEA OES (2007)

Patenting evidence

The results from the patent analysis reveal strongest positions for Norway (Table 36 and Figure 35). This can be explained by the fairly high RD&D funding in this area (Figure 11).

International collaboration

The EU report “The State and Prospects of the European Energy Research” (2006) showed that R&D on wave and tidal energy has been increasingly funded by the EUFPs (Figure 12).

Figure 12: Ocean energy research funding in FP5 and FP6. Source: The State and Prospects of the European Energy Research. 2006. Annex VI 1

Sweden

The University of Uppsala has one of Sweden’s leading energy research laboratories, the Ångström Laboratory. Here, a new kind of wave energy converter is being developed.

The new converter will include a linear generator, adapted to the slow, reciprocal motion of ocean waves. The slow motion under the ocean surface will cause a very limited environmental impact.

A wave power plant has been established outside the West coast of Sweden at Islandsberg. The testing site will be running until 2013–2014.

Figure 13: Reported government ocean energy RD&D budgets in IEA member states in 1974–2004.

Source: IEA OES Annual Report 2006

Denmark

The wave energy activities in Denmark, the Wave Star and Wavedragon projects, are the main projects at the present time and funded by the state. Aalborg University is

particpating in these projects, as well as two Norwegian and other projects.

Other developers are also active in Denmark such as Waveplane, Poseidons Organ and Ramboll and the Danish Wave Energy Association (IEA-OES, 2007).

R&D programmes

In June 2005, the Energy Agency launched a Wave Energy Strategy for Denmark. The strategy was mainly focused on supporting and continuing research, development and trial within already on-going constructions, and new constructions with the precondition that these can demonstrate a technical and economic potential.

In a recent statement to the Energy Policy Committee, the Danish Association for the promotion of Wave Energy concluded that too little is being done to promote the development of wave energy constructions in Denmark. The targets set in the Danish wave energy strategy have been gradually downsized. The Association proposes to make year 2008 the Danish wave energy year.

The Danish Wave Energy Programme 1997–2002 was administered by the Danish Energy Authority (DEA).

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are on the way of becoming first in the Nordic region to generate energy from wave power. The energy company SEV plans to start using the technique by 2010. The project received support from the oil companies ENI and BP within the

Faroese Participation Programme (which is part of the first oil exploration licensing round). The Ministry of Petroleum has approved the funding, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has supported the work within the Environmental Issues Programme.²⁵

Norway

There are approximately 15 projects on ocean energy that are funded by the Norwegian government. The total support is approximately NOK15m (€2m), and the total amount spent on ocean energy activities in 2006 is approximately NOK65m (€8 m).

• 60–70% of the projects are concerned with wave power, one project concerns osmotic/salinity power and the rest are based on tidal power.

• Some of the projects relate to technology development and small-scale prototype testing by small development companies.

• Some are larger R&D projects with several project partners.

• There are also ongoing large scale or full-scale prototype projects.

In addition, Norwegian partners are involved in several projects that received support from the EU FP6 programme in 2006 (IEA-OES, 2007).

25 http://www.sewave.fo/Default.asp?sida=650

Research is currently being carried out at NTNU, SINTEF and IFE on wave energy, tidal energy and salt/salinity power.

The wave energy group at NTNU Department of Physics has been investigating the utilization of ocean waves since 1973. Wave energy is one of several subjects covered in the course Physics and Energy, since the early 1970s.

A number of wave power plats are being planned and constructed in Norway. Norwegian Pelagic Power is planning to install several wave pumps commencing 2007 and plans a full scale installation in 2009.

FO3 is the Norwegian wave project that is mostly developed. Fobox AS finances the project which is located outside Jomfruland in the outer part of the Oslo fjord. Another company is Wave Energy AS that has developed a wave power concept utilizing technologies from the oil sector.

Other Norwegian companies are developing technologies related to ocean power, such as tidal energy, salt power. The Norwegian company Statkraft together with SINTEF have carried out extensive research on salt power. The result is so far a small-scale salt power plant on the Sunndalsøra coast in western Norway and in SINTEF’s laboratories in Trondheim. Statkraft has as plans to develop a tidal project outside Tromsø. ²⁶

WAVEenergy AS is a company based at Aalgard 20 km south of Stavanger, Norway. It was established in April 2004 to develop the Seawave Slot-Cone generator (SSG)

concept. WaveEnergy AS currently carries out an EU funded pilot project of the SSG as a wave energy converter at the island of Kvitsøy.

26 Renewable energy in Norway 2007 www.fornybar.no