£8 million project launched to help unlock potential of marine energy
Tuesday, 24 November 2009

An £8 million project that will produce tools capable of accurately estimating the energy yield of major wave and tidal stream energy has been approved by the Energy Technologies Institute.

An £8 million project that will produce tools capable of accurately estimating the energy yield of major wave and tidal stream energy has been approved by the Energy Technologies Institute.

 

Performance Assessment of Wave and Tidal Array Systems (PerAWaT), a project led by Garrad Hassan, and including EDF Energy, EON, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Oxford, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Manchester will develop a series of models to predict the performance of wave and tidal stream generator arrays.

 

ETI Chief Executive Dr David Clarke said:

 

“Although the UK has huge marine potential, investment is being held back by uncertainty about the overall costs involved and the potential returns on investment in wave and tidal technologies.”

 

“This project will deliver greatly improved modelling tools to provide more accurate forecasting of energy yields and reduce the uncertainty and investment risk faced by project developers when planning large scale wave and tidal energy schemes.”

 

“It will build on existing knowledge to accelerate the development of sophisticated tools that will become essential as the marine energy industry matures.”

 

“No single company or university would be capable of doing this work alone and the ETI has played a key role in bringing together a consortium of experts to deliver this critical work. It is an important step to unlocking the considerable potential of marine energy.”

 

Garrad Hassan Marine Renewables Group Leader Dr Robert Rawlinson-Smith added: “Deployment of large scale arrays of marine energy conversion devices will only occur when project developers have sufficient confidence in the return on their investment.

“ The ETI core objective of accelerating the commercial deployment of energy technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be addressed by this project as it will both establish validate numerical models capable of predicting the performance of wave & tidal energy converters (WECs and TECs) when operating in arrays.”

Once established, the models will enhance levels of confidence in the design of WEC and TEC arrays and therefore accelerate their large scale deployment. By accelerating deployment rates the project will directly address the ETI Marine Programme outcome goal of increasing deployment to 2GW by 2020 and 30GW by 2050. “The PerAWaT consortium brings together universities, utilities and an engineering consultancy which, in combination, will provide the skills and facilities necessary to significantly enhance our understanding of the performance of wave and tidal stream energy farms and encapsulate that understanding in robust validated numerical models for use by the wider industry.”

There is currently no software package or validated method of estimating the average annual energy production of a wave or tidal stream energy farm


 



Latest Product News

Panton McLeod returns to scene of first robot success
ImageWater quality engineer Panton McLeod has celebrated another milestone in the Scottish water sector after revisiting the scene of its first-ever robotic cleaning project.
 
Cybit implements Fleetstar telematics for Volvo Construction Equipment Division
ImageCybit, the UK’s leading online Telematics Service Provider, has announced a new Fleetstar implementation for Volvo Construction Equipment Division, Volvo Group UK Ltd – a wholly owned dealership of the global construction equipment manufacturer.
 
New screw technology blowers are 30% more energy efficient
ImageAtlas Copco Compressors’ latest ZS range of oil-free, energy- saving positive displacement screw blowers is designed to meet today’s low carbon economy needs. The new and proven ZS screw blower technology is, on average, 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional lobe solutions. 
 
Manhole Buddy
 The newly expanded Manhole Buddy manhole lifter range now provides three alternative solutions for single person cover lifting, all interchangeable on the same multi-function, lifting trolley.
 

Product Showcase

Protecta-Line range grows with new ferrule
 GPS PE Pipe System’s award winning Protecta-Line barrier pipe system has been extended with a unique saddle ferrule.
Comments
Add NewSearch
Only registered users can write comments!
 
Grade 50 Stainless Steel Pump lifting chains with master links
 Bradney Chain has further developed its range of Grade 50 Stainless Steel Pump lifting chains with master links.
Comments
Add NewSearch
Only registered users can write comments!
 
Manhole Buddy
 The newly expanded Manhole Buddy manhole lifter range now provides three alternative solutions for single person cover lifting, all interchangeable on the same multi-function, lifting trolley.
Comments
Add NewSearch
Only registered users can write comments!
 

Login / Register


Username
Password
 Remember me
 
 Lost Password?
  
No account yet? Register

About Water Briefing

Water Briefing is an information service, delivering daily news, company data and product information straight to the desks of purchasers, users and specifiers of equipment and services in the UK water and wastewater industry.