Ocean Energy in Wales –Ambitions and Opportunities

Dr Miles Willis, Marine Energy Research Group Swansea University

Miles Willis

Running Order

• Introduction

• What is marine energy?

• Where is the resource around Wales?

• What state is the technology?

• What is driving the industry forward?

• What are the concerns?

• What are the Universities doing about it?

• Opportunities for composites

Miles Willis

Brief CV

PhD 1990 Power Generation Materials1990 Aerospace Materials, Conventional Power Generation2003 Recycling Slate Waste2006 Swanturbines Environmental Impacts2007 Tidal Stream in Bristol Channel2009 Low Carbon Research Institute – Marine

Project Manager LCRI Marine, 6 institutions, 50 staffSecretary Marine Energy Task Group for WalesChair Marine Energy Pembrokeshire

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Wave Energy

Power =(in kW per m)

rg2 H2moTe

64p

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Tidal Stream Energy

Power = ½ rCpAv3

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Tidal Range Energy

Power = ½ ArgH2

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1200km coastline wave, wind, tidal stream, tidal range

Welsh Resource

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Offshore Wind

•Currently 1.3GW operational around UK (~50% of global total)•7.2GW in planning or development•Crown Estate leases (Rnd 3) totalling 25GW

•Atlantic Array 1.5GW•Irish Sea 4.2GW

•Three consented off-shore wind farms in Wales (North Hoyle (60MW), Rhyl Flats (100MW) and GyM (750MW)

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UK Tidal Stream Resource

• DTI Renewable Atlas

• The areas of interest are yellow and are of peak flow 2m/s and above

• Resource is located around the UK and hence is out of phase

=> Base load

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Welsh Tidal Range Resource

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Tidal Stream Manufacturing

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Wave Manufacturing

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Severn Estuary Options

Image courtesy of New Scientist

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Wales Update – Severn Estuary

•Government does not see strategic case for public funding.•Uncertainties over compliance with regulation•Government not intending to review Severn tidal power until 2015•Triggers set in place for a future review•Private Finance Initiative from CorlanHafren looking at Cardiff Western Barrage project

Chris Huhne, DECC. Parliamentary Statement.Monday 18th Oct 2010

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Wales Update – Swansea

• Swanturbines Ltd• Gearless low speed generator• Currently building a 9m

diameter device

• Marine Power Systems• Oscillating water column• Now designing pre-commercial

demonstrator

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Wales Update – Pembrokeshire

• Tidal Energy Limited• Three turbines totalling 1.2MW• Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire• Installation 2011 (subject to consent)

• Wavedragon Wales• 7MW wave device• Hoping to have consent end

2010• Deploy 2011/2012

• Marine Energy Limited• Had submitted consents to deploy

10MW park• Off south Pembrokeshire coast• Uppsala University Sweden Miles Willis

Wales Update – Anglesey

• SeaGen Wales Ltd

• Seven 1.5MW turbines

• Skerries NW Angelsey

• Consents submitted 2009

• Installation 2011-2012 (subject to consent

• £70M project

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Wales Update – North Wales Coast

• Offshore Tidal Impoundments• Coastally-attached impoundments• Linking marine energy to flood defence and urban regeneration

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Marine Renewable Energy Strategic Framework.

Political Drivers

Routemap

TAN8

Strategic Environmental Assessment of Welsh Coast for marine technologies

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WAG Targets• “Our energy policy statement, ‘A Low Carbon

Revolution', estimates that Wales has the potential to produce more than twice as much energy as it currently uses through wholly renewable sources by 2025, with the largest proportion of this energy coming from marine generated electricity”.

• Long term potential 40GW. Short term target by 2025 4GW from wave and tidal.

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UK Take-up of Marine Energy

Potential UK Cumulative Installed Capacity of Marine Energy Projects by 2020 (ENTEC Oct 2009)

0.5MW wave energy1.45MW tidal stream

57.5MW currently being developed(27MW has been consented)

Round 1 wave and tidal Pentland Firth42 bids, 500,000 homes

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Is this a drop in the Ocean??...

Assuming 2GW (2000MW) installedTidal Stream Energy by 2025

10m diameter turbine

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A drop in the Ocean??...

Assuming 2GW (2000MW) installedWave Energy by 2025

300m span

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Environmental impact – during construction, operation & de-commission

• Sediment deposition and mobilisation• Material spillage, antifoulants• Increase in ship movements, road haulage, port activities• Wildlife disruption and disturbance• Laying sub-sea cable• Effect of changing tidal stream on ecology• Artificial reef effects• Collision risk• Visual impact

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Cetacean Populations Around SW Wales

Dolphin

BaskingShark

KillerWhale

HarbourPorpoise

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Environmental aspects of marine renewable deployment sites

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Commercial and Recreational Activities

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The Welsh Low Carbon Research Institute

1: Low carbon energy generation, storage anddistribution-PV (inc PV theme group)-Hydrogen-Distributed Generation-Marine (inc Marine theme group) -Power Take Off

2: Carbon reduction and energy efficiency-Built Environment-Large Scale Power Generation -Electrical Product Efficiency -Socio-economics -Transport

3: Energy Graduate School

4: Dissemination and Partnerships with industry, research organisations and government

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Academic Research

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Oceanographic Monitoring

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Resource Mapping

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Modelling “Real-Life”

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(Cardiff University)

Simulations in Severn Estuary

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(Swansea & Cardiff)

Wake Effects

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Water mixing effects -Wavedragon

Device-Specific Solutions

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Modelling Arrays of Devices

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Oceanographic data capture

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Field Work Results – Observed Marine Organisms

School of the Environment and Society, Swansea

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Underwater Noise

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Outreach Activities

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Composites Challenges

• Offshore Environment• Wave and wind loadings• Deep water, 830 times more dense than air• Moisture absorption• Minimum maintenance• Interactions with metal structures• Biofouling• Maximising strength to weight ratio at a cost• Large scale production issues• 20-25 year structural integrity - fatigue• Recyclability

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Composites Opportunities

• Primary structures

– Rotors - carbon fibre spars, ribs with glass fibre envelopes. Epoxy matrix.

– Structural foams

• Secondary structures

– Pipes, gratings, handrails, cable trays

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THANK YOU

With recognition of the research contributions from:

Ian Masters, Sara Thomas, Rebecca Gallie, Jo Loman, Andy Cook, Reza Ahmadian, Roger Falconer, Binliang Lin, Guanghai Gao, Mark Cross, Nick Croft, Alison Williams, Medzid Muhasilovic, Ian Horsfall, Rob Fidler,

Chris Wooldridge, Ian Fryett, Paul Evans, Tim O’Doherty, Daphne O’Doherty, Allan Mason-Jones, John Chapman, James Orme, Enayat Zangiabadi, Chris Bennett

Miles Willis