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Marine

The Path to Power

a report by
Michael Hay

Marine Renewables Development Manager, British Wind Energy Association (BWEA)

A diverse portfolio of renewable energy sources will There are currently two shoreline OWCs being
be required to effectively deliver clean energy tested around the world: Wavegen in the UK
security in the future. The unique location of each installed the world’s first commercial device on the
individual nation allows for more focused strategies Isle of Islay in 2000; and Pico Plant have since
to evolve around technologies that can empower the developed a slightly smaller OWC in the Azores.
natural strengths available. In relation to wave and Further offshore, numerous methods are being
tidal stream energy this essentially means that any pursued through the testing phase of development.
country with a coastline has a substantial power Among the most developed are Ocean Power
Michael Hay is the Marine source on its doorstep. Wave energy is more Delivery (OPD) in the UK, who have taken their
Renewables Development Manager concentrated along west coasts and tidal stream does 750kW Pelamis device to the European Marine
for the British Wind Energy
Association (BWEA). Before taking tend to be localised around particular hot spots, but Energy Centre (EMEC) on Orkney for full scale sea
up this post at BWEA in February between them they could still provide a substantial trials (see Photo 1), Ocean Power Technologies
2004 Mr Hay worked on the
DTI/Carbon Trust Renewables
amount of secure electricity globally. Many (OPT), whose PowerBuoy device has been
Innovation Review team. This small countries are therefore looking to the sea in order to developed and deployed in the US, and
group assessed the potential in all assess how to deliver marine energy into their Wavedragon, who are in the process of scoping a
renewable energy technologies,
including wave and tidal, in order electricity grid effectively and with minimal site in south Wales for their 7MW installation
to advise funding allocation in the environmental impact. in 2007 (see Photo 2).
Governments 2004 Comprehensive
Spending Review. At BWEA he co-
ordinates 117 companies interested The UK has the most powerful wave resource in Larger-scale developments could potentially start
in wave and tidal energy, thereby Europe and is equally blessed with a land mass that happening later this year or early 2007, with multiple
allowing the experiences of offshore
wind to help support emerging channels tidal currents into focussed areas of units being deployed. Already large renewable
marine renewables. He has an MA potential energy. Looking at this a recent study energy project development companies are
in environmental geography from from the Carbon Trust suggested that as much as beginning to take interest including Scottish Power
the University of Aberdeen and MSc
in environmental technology with 20% of the UK’s electricity requirements could and AMEC, who have agreed to study the feasibility
Energy Policy from Imperial come from wave and tidal stream energy, with a of a pre-commercial Pelamis project in Scotland.
College London.
practical figure of 3GW of deployment across OPD also has a deal with Enersis to build a 3MW
Europe by 2020. Wave and tidal technologies are demonstrator plant in Portugal and are in the process
therefore exciting prospective power providers. of shipping the component parts of their device from
For this reason a number of countries have put the UK for assembly in Portugal (see Photo 3). This,
substantial amounts of support into research and the world’s first wave energy project, could be
development (R&D) in order to assess the producing clean electricity for the Portuguese
likelihood of cost-competitive marine energy, with national grid by the summer of 2006. Elsewhere,
the UK presently at the forefront of this global OPT are aiming to develop their first projects in
challenge. northern Spain, France and the UK, with a number
of partner companies including Ibedrola and Total.
Wave Energy Wavedragon also have ambitious plans to expand
their South Wales development over a number of
Wave energy converters that have so far been years in order to drive down costs through
developed to extract and convert this power into a economies of scale.
useful form can make use of either mechanical
motion or fluid pressure, with numerous Tidal Stream Power
techniques being tested to achieve it, e.g.
oscillating water columns (OWCs), hinged rafts Tidal streams, or currents, are caused by the tides
and hydraulic devices. These can be deployed flowing in and out of areas where the submarine
either on the shoreline, near shore or in deeper topography channels these flows into high-velocity,
waters offshore. high-energy hot-spots. Due to the nature of the tide,

36 EUROPEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY REVIEW 2006

The Path to Power

Photo 1

the energy in these areas tends to be maximised twice against the flow of water to drive hydraulic pumps,
a day as the tide flows in and out regularly. the only example of this at present is the Stingray
device developed by the Engineering Business in the
Already, there appears to be the start of a UK. Successful sea trials over the past two years have
technology consolidation around the basic brought this to Phase III of development and there
principles of the horizontal axis wind turbine. The are plans for a 5MW farm in 2005. Once again,
foundation and structure upon which this type of however, this is dependent on the right support
turbine is placed does, however, vary considerably framework being in place; one that can help the
between developers. companies develop their technology between the
R&D stage of innovation towards supported
The first uses technology that is placed in the current commercial, a point similar to that of Round 1
to extract power in a similar design to that used in offshore wind in the UK whereby capital grants
wind energy; examples of this include the complemented the Renewabes Obligation (the UK
Hammerfest Strom device in Norway and the Sea renewables market support mechanism).
Flow project by Marine Current Turbines in the
UK. The Seaflow project has been tested over the This R&D support was complemented further by
past year with encouraging results that have sparked the release of £50 million at the beginning of
an investment interest in the technology by August 2004 (the largest pot of dedicated funds for
companies including Guernsey Electricity. SMD marine renewables anywhere in the world). Several
Hyrovision in the UK also have an emerging months after this announcement, in the May 2005,
technology that extracts energy from streams in a the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
similar way. Their TidEL device consists of a announced the ‘Wave and Tidal Energy
floating pod that is tethered to the seabed and is Demonstration Scheme’ paper.
therefore pulled in the direction of the flow as the
tide changes. Scale trials have been completed and The DTI scheme is open for all companies that have
the intention is for a 1MW machine to be developed been operating full-scale prototypes in the marine
for testing within two years. environment. It allows wave and tidal stream
projects of multiple devices to receive £100/MWh
Another technology involves reciprocating on top of the price of electricity (around
hydrofoils that, when placed in the stream, react £20/MWh) and the Renewable Obligation

EUROPEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY REVIEW 2006 37

Marine

Photo 2

Certificate (ROC) price of around £30/MWh that On top of this the DTI announced Consenting
all renewable energy generators in the UK receive. Guidelines for the first small projects late last year.
It therefore provides revenue support of around These allow such projects to enter English and Welsh
£150/MWh. This is available for seven years from waters without having to wait for a Strategic
the date of commissioning. Up-front capital costs are Environmental Assessment (SEA), which is required
also helped by a capital grant that equals 25% of costs where there is a policy of development such as that
eligible under DTI guidelines. The maximum around offshore wind. As part of these guidelines the
amount of capital grant available to any one project DTI also announced a £2m fund for the generic
is limited to £5 million. The overall funding cap per monitoring of devices during the deployment of
project has been set at £9 million; once this has these projects.
been reached funding ceases, even if the seven-year
revenue support period has not expired. It is, however, vital that a UK-wide SEA process
begins as soon as possible in order to provide
Allowing the developer to choose their developers with the security that government is
commissioning date, flexibility between capital grant looking towards the strategic development of large
milestones, and making grid connection an eligible wave and tidal stream projects in the longer term.
cost will help pull projects into the water, although The Scottish Executive have already started an SEA
due to the caps these projects will be smaller than for wave and tidal energy along the west and north
some device developers would originally have hoped coast of the country in order to try and provide that
for. It is, however, vital that these funds produce security; however, short- to medium-term grid
successful projects, regardless of size, as the industry constraints may restrict the ability to tap into what
will have to prove to government that it can generate could be the best marine renewables resource in the
electricity, and drive down costs, on the path towards world. This strategic vision for the sector is
the commercial renewables market. The £50m may complemented by a willingness to provide multiple
only be the first, albeit vital, step in that direction, Renewable Obligation Certificates for marine
but it does send out signals that suggest the UK projects in Scotland, thereby presenting longer-term
government is willing to build upon its resource base market support north of the border. This will be
and provide marine renewable technologies with an consulted upon throughout 2006 and the results
opportunity to prove themselves. announced in April 2007.

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Photo 3

Indeed a lack of government support may still restrict reduction of adverse impacts that has been built
development in the UK – although a positive kick- through experience.
start, £50m is only the first step towards the
development of competitive energy from the sea. In order to understand these impacts all wave and
What is required is longer-term market security such tidal energy devices are being monitored
as the Scottish proposals. The DTI are, however, independently. This monitoring programme will
unwilling to enter into such discussions at this time ensure that all potential implications of building such
due, understandably, to the potential effects of such power stations are fully considered prior to
changes to investment in other renewable energy construction and that any unforeseen impacts can be
technologies. This is a crucial debate that industry dealt with accordingly. A similar programme
will be engaging with over the coming year in and operates around offshore wind projects, whereby a
around the Energy Review. fund financed by developers is utilised by the Crown
Estate to facilitate independent research into any
The benefits of the wave and tidal stream energy effects of such projects during construction,
available off the UK are not just in the delivery of operation and decommissioning. The DTI’s £2m
renewable power into the grid system and package will help support this in the early years.
subsequent carbon reductions, they are also in the
significant market opportunities available in This knowledge is vital for developers, stakeholders and
becoming a global leader in offshore renewable government when it comes to assessing sites for
energy technologies. Countries including South construction and, as it becomes more robust over time,
Africa, Japan, Australia and many in Europe, will help in the creation of larger and more benign
together with a number of states in the US, are projects with greater confidence. Likewise, this learning
beginning to push ahead with their own policies for will be crucial for other countries looking to harness the
renewable energy generation as part of a global huge power resource off their coast. Indeed with
realisation of the need for more indigenous sources increasing evidence showing climate change to be the
of clean power. With this comes not just the biggest threat to the marine environment, the quicker
opportunity to sell technologies but also the ability these technologies can be developed and deployed in a
to help with supportive knowledge around the sustainable and economic manner the better. ■

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