NEWSLETTER
October 2007 ISSUE 9
E v e n t o n Wa v e a n d Ti d a l E n e r g y
Contents
Event on Wave and Tidal Energy_1 National Activities - MEXICO_2 News - IRELAND_3 Agenda Events on Ocean Energy_4 Implementing Agreement Information_4
7 t h E u r o p e a n Wa v e a n d Ti d a l E n e r g y C o n f e r e n c e P o r t o , P o r t u g a l , 11 - 1 3 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7
B y A n t ó n i o F. O . F a l c ã o , I n s t i t u t o S u p e r i o r T é c n i c o , P o r t u g a l These conferences started in Edinburgh in 1993 and have been taking place every two years in different European countries. "Tidal" was added to the title at the time of the 6th conference held in Glasgow in 2005. The conference was attended by about 350 participants, 86% of whom were from Europe. Taking into account that wave and tidal are not mature technologies (in the most advanced cases, they are at the demonstration or pre-commercial stages), the percentage of participants from companies was remarkably high (65%) as compared with those from universities (29%) and other institutions (6%). The conference banquet took place appropriately in the wine cellars of one of the oldest Port wine companies. 103 papers were selected for presentation and publication in the proceedings, after peer review of the full-length paper. For the first time in this series of conferences, the proceedings (in CD form) were available to the participants a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e c o n f e r e n c e ( c o p i e s m a y b e o b ta i n e d f r o m www.ewtec2007.com.pt). The number of participants as well as the number of papers were significantly larger than in the previous conferences, which shows a marked increase in the interest in ocean energy, especially from companies. The papers were presented in 22 technical sessions: 3 plenary sessions and 19 specialized (parallel) sessions: Wave energy resource (3 sessions) Wave power take-off Wa v e e n e r g y c o n v e r t e r h y d r o d y n a m i c m o d e l l i n g ( 4 s e s s i o n s ) Wave energy converter arrays Wave energy converter control Air turbines (2 sessions) Wave energy new concepts Tidal energy resource and new concepts Tidal energy device modelling (2 sessions) Environmental impact and consent process Strategy and economics Future guidelines
Editorial
Welcome to this ninth issue of the IEA OES Newsletter. This issue follows the seventh European Conference on Wave and Tidal Energy as well as the inaugural launch of the first commercial wave farm in Portugal. The first article of this issue provides a snapshot of this biannual conference. The second article presents an overview of on going research activities in Mexico involving tidal storage, tidal current and hydrothermal. The last article discusses a successful demonstration of a wave energy prototype device at the Irish quarter scale test site. The IEA-OES is holding its first expert group meeting to discuss research needs in addressing environmental issues related to ocean energy on October 18th in Messina, Italy.
By Gouri S. Bhuyan Chair of the IEA-OES
S e a Tr i a l s - B r i e f N e w s
British Columbia, Canada
The tidal current bi-directional ducted horizontal axis turbine developed by Clean Current Power Systems Incorporated (www.cleancurrent.com) was removed in May 2007 from Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, offshore of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, after a period of 8 months of operation. The demonstration unit is being inspected and undergoing m o d i f i c a t i o n s a t a s h i p y a r d i n Va n c o u v e r, C a n a d a .
The closing session was devoted to an open forum discussion. The 8th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference will take place in 2009 in Sweden.
British Columbia, Canada
Finavera Renewables based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada announced in September 6th 2007, the deployment and commissioning of the AquaBuOY 2.0 wave energy converter, approximately 2.5 miles off the coast of Newport, Oregon.
Ireland
The Irish company Ocean Energy (www.oceanenergy.ie) completed the first Winter Sea Trials of its OE Buoy at the test site in Galway Bay. The device, which is a floating OWC wave energy protoype at 1/4 scale, was taken into Galway docs at the end of August 2007 after completing eight months of testing (see page 3 for news on re-deployment plans).
Photo of the Banquet in the Wine cellars of Real Companhia Velha
National Activities - MEXICO
Ocean Energy Activities in Mexico
By Gerardo Hiriart, National University of Mexico Under the umbrella of the Megaproject "Sea Water Desalination with Renewable Energies", the ocean based renewable energies play an important role. In the case of Mexico, there are three main types:
We have already constructed the first model of the "cucaracha" with transparent plexiglass and helical blade turbines. This model will be used for qualitative tests which will identify technical problems with our design that can be corrected before we install more precise measuring devices for pressure, velocity and power.
A team of students, lead by our PhD. student José López González installed 1. Tidal storage in the upper part of the Gulf of California where a 6 meter amplitude and a very large deserted flooding area provide a potential energy density of 15 MW per square kilometer of storage (approximately 8.4 GWh per year). 2. Tidal currents inside the Gulf of California, between the islands and the continent produce currents at very high speeds. 3. Hydrothermal vents found on the ocean floor in the Gulf produce very high temperature jets that can be used to generate electricity. Salvador Espíndola is leading the group which is designing a binary cycle, water tight submarine which will use the heat (220°C) of the hydrothermal In these three fields, the following progress has been made: vent and cooling sink (5°C) of the surrounding water to produce eletricity. A preliminary test in our own lab is expected to initiate later this year. For tidal storage, several designs have been investigated. Our efforts have focused on a two-tank model in which one of the tanks is operated always as the high level tank and the other as the low level tank. The turbines are located in the dike between the two tanks. So far, theoretical results have been obtained for a costal lagoon where 80 MW of hydroelectrical power can be generated continuously at a very low cost. Additionally, a very special arrangement of dike and turbines has been designed for the upper part of the Gulf which would make use of the islands and canals of the former discharge of the Colorado River (now the discharge is zero). We already have a very enthusiastic team in our IMPULSA Project working to obtain desalinated sea water from renewable energy in the Baja California To produce electricity from tidal currents, the research has been focused on the design of a floating generator with two vertical axis turbines ("La cucaracha" as we call it). The next step will be field measurements at the site of the ocean currents. Peninsula. We invite you to visit our web page www.impulsa4.unam.mx for more information. To have a better understanding of the marine floor of the Wagner Trench, a pull apart rift, a research expedition was organized under the leadership of Dr. Rosa Maria Prol on board the Oceanographic ship PUMA from the National University. Some very encouraging results where obtained which are currently being studied and will be published s h o r t l y. Arrangements are being made to run parts of the test at the geothermal field of Las Azufres, a couple of hours from Mexico City. Regarding the hydrothermal vents, work continues with the design of a submarine generator and improvement of the resource estimation in the Wagner Trench in front of Puerto Peñasco. a current meter in the Infiernillo channel between the Tiburon Island and the Sonora coast. After a month of measurements, the device will be extracted and the information will be analyzed.
1
Basin area: 2,590 km 2 Dam length: 74 km Installed power: 38,828 MW (PF 6%) Annual generation: 21,657 GWh/year Pot/A: 15 MW/km 2 E/A: 8.4 GW/year/km 2
2
Basin area: 630 km 2 Dam length: 47 km Installed power: 9,451 MW (PF 6%) Annual generation: 5,260 GWh/year Pot/A: 15 MW/km 2 E/A: 8.4 GW/year/km 2
Tidal currents electricity generator
3
Basin area: 130 km 2 Dam length: 16 km Installed power: 1,979 MW (PF 6%) Annual generation: 1,090 GWh/year Pot/A: 15 MW/km 2 E/A: 8.4 GW/year/km 2
4
Basin area: 53 km 2 Dam length: 11 km Installed power: 766 MW (PF 6%) Annual generation: 438 GWh/year Pot/A: 15 MW/km 2 E/A: 8.4 GW/year/km 2
California Golf tidal potential
Electricity generator from hydrothermal vents
News - IRELAND
Ocean Energy is Making Waves in Renewable Energy
by Kathryn Jeffery, Oceanenergy Limited, Ireland
The idea which could see the launch of "Energy Armadas" world-wide within the next five years was developed when Mike Whelan (a former Marine Salvage Master with experience of salvage operations in the Atlantic and European
Two Irish entrepreneurs have turned to the sea using a carbonfree technology of its kind, to produce clean energy from wave power. They plan to launch their project in remote areas of the Irish Republic's Atlantic coastline. Once fully operational they are confident the technology will have application and advantages for the UK and other coastal areas worldwide. Like most good ideas, the design is simple. They set out to build a turbine that will float on water; install a power unit that drives the turbine using pure sea air and waves; reduce wear to one moving part only; send power ashore by underwater cable to feed into the national grid. A quarter-size prototype (christened 'Seilean', Irish Gaelic for Wild Honey Bee) was moored in Galway Bay and her performance observed over the following ten weeks, just as the worst storms in living memory hit the west coast in December 2006. It was discovered that other than flat calm, there is no such thing as the wrong kind of weather. Over the whole wave spectrum ranging from 2 ft to 25 ft (0.6 m to 7.6 m) and above, with gale force winds gusting to 60-70 mph (26.8-31.3 m/s), the yellow and black buoy continued to pump out energy at a remarkable rate. The final full-sized test-bed is due to be launched in the winter of next year with up to a 2 MW capacity linked to the Irish national grid. When commercial production begins, the working buoys will be fitted with twin turbines with a total capacity of 4 MW. By comparison, the largest land-based windmill available in the UK, standing 410 ft (125 m) high (almost three times the height of Nelson's Column) is fitted with a 3 MW turbine. Ambitious targets have been set for delivery of renewable energy solutions as part of national energy requirements and global carbon credit agreements, ensuring that this is a priority for many countries. Ocean Energy is determined to play a central part in the delivery of these solutions, with their invention being the first prototype to be tested in the sea. Unlike land-based windmills, the buoys do not require road infrastructure for erecting and maintenance, or the use of large volumes of concrete at the sites where they are placed. The buoys can be moored close to each other in selected offshore areas. Later versions will have four turbines in the hull, giving each vessel a massive 8 MW capacity. If the floating buoys require repair work or infrequent maintenance, it can be carried out either at sea, or they can be towed to a shore base. They present no threat to marine life or sea birds. The full-scale models will be 131 ft (40 m) long and 29.5 ft (9 m) above sea level. Moored 2.7 nautical miles (5 km) offshore they will look no larger than fishing boats on the horizon.
waters) and John McCarthy (an accountant by profession with previous experience in the field of renewable energy) began discussions with Dr. Tony Lewis, Head of the Hydraulics and Marine Research Centre at University College Cork, with more than 30 years experience of oceanenergy development. After the formation of Ocean Energy, tests on working models were carried out at the Ocean Wave Basin in UCC, and with a larger model in the Wave Tank at the French École Central in Nantes. When the results were analysed, the decision was made to go ahead with building the first 28 tonne prototype. The Ocean Energy design uses the continuous movement of the vessel in waves to build up pressure in an L-shaped chamber. Compressed air is then expelled through the turbine, leaving no carbon footprints. The Galway Bay sea trials were set up to firstly prove the theory that the unique design would work in real wave and open ocean conditions. Secondly, that the buoy would withstand severe weather conditions over an indefinite period. Mike Whelan's maritime experience proved invaluable: "Safe and reliable moorings were given priority in the design and research programme”.
"After the eight-month trial in Galway Bay the buoy remained exactly where she had been moored, despite everything the Atlantic could throw at her, including waves over 25 ft (7.6 m) high”. "There have been a number of ideas around the world for harnessing wave energy. The success rate has not been very high and one of the main causes of failure has been poor survival in severe weather conditions. I am confident we have overcome this problem". The Ocean Energy development programme has already raised one million Euros in funding from private equity, including one of the largest single grants approved by Sustainable Energy Ireland, in addition to further developmental support from the Irish Marine Institute. The second phase of this development programme has now commenced with the imminent installation of a turbine and re-deployment to the Marine Institute test site for further winter sea trials.
More information is available on the company's website: www.oceanenergy.ie.
Agenda Events on Ocean Energy
Implementing Agreement Information
Mission of the IEA-OES
FORTHCOMING CONFERENCES
Scottish Renewables Marine Energy Seminar Dundee, Scotland, UK 9 November 2007 w w w. s c o t t i s h r e n e w a b l e s . c o m Wo r l d E n e r g y C o n g r e s s 2 0 0 7 R o m e , I ta l y 9-15 November 2007 w w w. r o m e 2 0 0 7 . i t 1 s t Wo r l d F u t u r e E n e r g y S u m m i t ( W F E S ) Abu Dhabi, UAE 21-23 January 2008 w w w. W F E S 0 8 . c o m Pacific 2008 - International Maritime Conference S y d n e y, A u s t r a l i a 29-31 January 2008 w w w. pa c i f i c 2 0 0 8 i m c . c o m Scottish Energy & Environment Conference G l a s g o w, S c o t l a n d , U K 5 February 2008 w w w. s e e c o n . o r g . u k Washington International Renewable Energy Conference Wa s h i n g t o n D C , U S A 4-6 March 2008 w w w. w i r e c 2 0 0 8 . o r g 2008 Oceanology International Conference - Technology, S u s ta i n a b i l i t y a n d t h e O c e a n s London, England, UK 11 - 1 3 M a r c h 2 0 0 8 w w w. i m a r e s t . o r g / e v e n ts / o c e a n o l o g y
To facilitate and co-ordinate ocean energy research, development and demonstration through international co-operation and information exchange, leading to the deployment and commercialisation of sustainable, efficient, reliable, cost-competitive and environmentally sound ocean energy technologies.
Member Countries and Executive Committee Members Member
BELGIUM
Alternate
Julien De Rouck julien.derouck@ugent.be Melanie Nadeau menadeau@nrcan.gc.ca Kim Nielsen kin@ramboll.dk Jochen Bard jbard@iset.uni-kassel.de Tony Lewis tlewis@indigo.ie Hirofumi Arima arima@ioes.saga-u.ac.jp Gerardo Hiriart ghiriartl@ii.unam.mx Tore Gulli tore.gulli@fredolsen.no António Falcão falcao@hidro1.ist.utl.pt Walter Musial Walter_Musial@nrel.gov
Gabriel Michaux gabriel.michaux@mineco.fgov.be
CANADA
Gouri Bhuyan (2007-2008 Chair) gouri.bhuyan@powertechlabs.com
DENMARK
Jan Bünger jbu@ens.dk
GERMANY
Ralf Christmann Ralf.Christmann@bmu.bund.de
IRELAND
Katrina Polaski (2007-2008 Vice-Chair) katrina.polaski@sei.ie
JAPAN
Yasuyuki Ikegami ikegami@ioes.saga-u.ac.jp
MEXICO
Sergio Alcocer salcocerm@ii.unam.mx
NORWAY
Petter Hersleth petter.hersleth@statkraft.no
PORTUGAL
Teresa Pontes teresa.pontes@ineti.pt
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Jim Ahlgrimm jim.ahlgrimm@ee.doe.gov
UNITED KINGDOM
Gary Shanahan (2007-2008 Vice-Chair) Gary.Shanahan@dti.gsi.gov.uk
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Anna Gigantino anna.gigantino@ec.europa.eu
Executive Secretary
Oceans '08 MTS K o b e , J a pa n 8 - 11 A p r i l 2 0 0 8 w w w. o c e a n s 0 8 m ts i e e e k o b e - t e c h n o o c e a n 0 8 . o r g OMAE 2008 Estoril, Portugal 15-20 June 2008 w w w. o m a e 2 0 0 8 . c o m Contact: Ana Brito e Melo (ana@wave-energy-centre.org)
ANNEX II: Development of recommended practices for testing and evaluating OES Ramboll Contact: Kim Nielsen (kin@ramboll.dk) ANNEX III: Integration of ocean energy plants into electrical grids Powertech Labs Contact: Gouri Bhuyan (gouri.bhuyan@powertechlabs.com)
Operating Agents
ANNEX I: Review, exchange and dissemination of information on OES INETI Contact: Teresa Pontes (teresa.pontes@ineti.pt)
How to participate in the IEA-OES
ISOPE-2008 Va n c o u v e r, B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a , C a n a d a 6 - 11 J u l y 2 0 0 8 w w w. i s o p e . o r g / c o n f e r e n c e s / c o n f e r e n c e s . h t m Wo r l d r e n e w a b l e E n e r g y C o n g r e s s X a n d E x h i b i t i o n (WREC) G l a s g o w, S c o t l a n d , U K 19-25 July 2008 w w w. w r e n u k . c o . u k / w r e c x . h t m l Publication _ IEA-OES Executive Committee Design _ INETI - DER Printing _ CLIO - Artes Gráficas Acting Editor _ IEA-OES Circulation _ 700 copies ISBN _ 1645-7811
If your country has not signed the Implementing Agreement, contact the Executive Committee Chairperson who will provide you with information on how to proceed.If your country has signed the Implementing Agreement contact the Executive Committee member from your country or the Operating Agent of the Task(s) you are interested in.
The IEA-OES Website: http://www.iea-oceans.org