Abstract
The emerging global wave energy industry has the potential to contribute to the world’s energy needs, but careful consideration of potential impacts to coastal processes in the form of an impact assessment is required for each new wave energy site. Methods for conducting a coastal processes impact assessment for wave energy arrays vary considerably in the scientific literature, particularly with respect to characterising the energy absorption of a wave energy converter (WEC) array in a wave model. In this paper, modelling methods used in the scientific literature to study wave farm impacts on coastal processes are reviewed, with the aim of determining modelling guidance for impact assessments. Effects on wave climate, beach morphology, and the surfing resource for coastal water users are considered. A novel parameterisation for the WEC array transmission coefficient is presented that, for the first time, uses the permitted power rating of the wave farm, which is usually well defined at the impact assessment stage, to estimate the maximum likely absorption of a permitted WEC array. A coastal processes impact assessment case study from a wave farm in south-west Ireland is used to illustrate the application of the reviewed methods, and demonstrates that using the new ‘rated power transmission coefficient’ rather than a WEC-derived transmission coefficient or complete energy absorption scenario can make the difference between significant and non-significant levels of coastal impacts being predicted.
Highlights
The extraction of wave energy from the world’s oceans and seas has the potential to contribute significantly to the global energy mix
Some have modelled a suite of transmission coefficients in order to capture the full possible range of impacts, e.g., [6,8]; as the permitted array power is usually well defined at the impact assessment stage, a conservative maximum absorption value can be estimated for a permitted wave energy converter (WEC) array, reducing the possibility for over-or under-estimation of the potential coastal impacts
As frequency response and WEC array layout vary from device to device, modelling these characteristics with great precision will only increase the accuracy of the modelling results if the exact devices to be deployed over the entire lifetime of the permitted array are known with certainty at the impact assessment stage
Summary
The extraction of wave energy from the world’s oceans and seas has the potential to contribute significantly to the global energy mix. Potential impacts to water users such as surfers will have to be considered as part of the coastal processes impact assessment, as such groups have a shared interest in the wave resource, are of economic importance to coastal regions [4], and have raised significant concerns and opposition during previous WEC siting proposals, e.g., [5]. In this contribution, methods for conducting a coastal processes impact assessment for wave energy arrays are discussed, with the aim of determining a set of recommended guidelines for a wave.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
