Abstract
Policy making is called to play a decisive role in the commercialisation of tidal stream energy projects. For they are site-specific, spatial targeting of policies is needed, so that tidal stream regulations (financial supporting mechanisms, consenting procedures, etc.) could be concentrated to sites where they can achieve the greatest benefits. With this in view, the aim of this paper is: (i) to develop a new method to delimit the most suitable (target) areas for tidal stream energy policy intervention within a coastal area of interest, and (ii) to apply it to the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary (UK). The method includes spatial numerical analysis by means of a Matlab-based code coupled with a Navier-Stokes solver. The programme works in steps, in which different constraints are imposed with a view to carry out a zoning process. As a result of this zoning process, four hotspots are selected, for which a set of policy interventions is proposed. This includes the specific levels of subsidisation for closing the grid parity gap of potential projects in each area. The method can be viewed as a supporting decision mechanism for spatially targeted policy-making and management of tidal stream energy across the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.
Highlights
Tidal stream energy is at the centre of global efforts towards climate change mitigation
As a result of the method presented above, four areas were selected for potential tidal stream energy projects (Fig. 5)
They are regions in which the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) is below £0.25 per kWh and the maximum level of shipping intensity traffic is 2 (40–160 vessels per year) (Fig. 4)
Summary
Tidal stream energy is at the centre of global efforts towards climate change mitigation. The aforementioned Directive frames EU National Renewable Energy Plans, where targets for tidal stream energy installed power are presented by EU countries [4]. The most popular types of short-term strategies for the economic support of renewable energy are: direct subsidies, tax cuts for projects, and charging taxes for a certain amount of CO2 emissions. For their part, feed-in tariffs (FIT) constitute one of the most important and known mechanisms for promoting tidal energy in the long term [9]. As ocean energy installations become more prevalent, it is likely that they will be increasingly sited within, or near, existing international shipping lanes, areas of conservation, etc. [10] – for which Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) policies have been seen as a solution to overcome problems with overlapping jurisdiction and to support ocean energy to tap the full potential [2]
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