Abstract
In this study, a third-generation wave model is used to examine the wave power resource for the Baltic Sea region at an unprecedented one-kilometer-scale resolution for the years 1998 to 2013. Special focus is given to the evaluation and description of wave field characteristics for the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (SEEZ). It is carried out to provide a more detailed assessment of the potential of waves as a renewable energy resource for the region. The wave energy potential is largely controlled by the distance from the coast and the fetch associated with the prevailing dominant wave direction. The ice cover is also shown to significantly influence the wave power resource, especially in the most northern basins of the SEEZ. For the areas in focus here, the potential annual average wave energy flux reaches 45 MWh/m/year in the two sub-basins with the highest wave energies, but local variations are up to 65 MWh/m/year. The assessment provides the basis for a further detailed identification of potential sites for wave energy converters. An outlook is given for additional aspects studied within a broad multi-disciplinary project to assess the conditions for offshore wave energy conversion within the SEEZ.
Highlights
Renewables presently supply more than 20% of the world’s energy demand and represented almost two-thirds of the new net electricity capacity additions in 2016 [1]
A 16-year wave hindcast dataset at one-kilometer-scale horizontal resolution for the Baltic Sea and Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone was produced using a third-generation wave model, which took seasonal ice-cover into account
This provided the basis for a wave energy resource assessment at a wave energy converter park level, with a typical size of between about 250 by 250 m and 1 km2
Summary
Renewables presently supply more than 20% of the world’s energy demand and represented almost two-thirds of the new net electricity capacity additions in 2016 [1]. The majority of the growth in renewables comes from solar power and photovoltaics grew faster than any other energy resource in 2016 [1]. To meet future energy demands and accelerate decarbonisation in all sectors in order to be on track to meet long-term climate goals, a diversified set of energy sources is needed. A significant part of global renewable energy resources is stored in oceans. Wave energy has attracted the attention of the scientific community and the energy industry especially since the 1970s, in connection to the oil crisis of 1973 [2], but the first patent for a device to convert wave energy into usable energy was filed in France as early as 1799 [2,3].
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