Türkiye's Offshore Hybrid Energy Potential and Cost Estimation in the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

The major target of this study is to determine the hybrid energy potential, as a renewable energy source, in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The most important motivation of this study is that the Eastern Mediterranean zone has a significant hydrocarbon potential in addition to its geopolitical value. Hence, the hydrocarbon platforms in the region constitute the main framework of this novel research. Wind, solar and wave energy potentials and cost estimation of 6 selected locations in the Eastern Mediterranean are analyzed. The analysis is based on the needs of the platforms, i.e. if the energy is produced more than the needs of the platforms, the hydrogen is produced by electrolysis. The cost estimation of the system is carried out by assuming not only the situation of the produced hydrogen but also the transportation of the hydrogen to the mainland. According the results of the analyzes, it has been shown that the Eastern Mediterranean has a very high wind, solar, and wave energy potential due to the fact that Crete and Rhodes Islands form a natural strait. As a conclusion different transmission scenarios of the hydrogen to the mainland shows that the energy required by the platforms can be provided by renewable energy sources, regardless of their power.