Offshore Marine Energy: Solar, Wave, Tidal
The EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy envisions about 40GW of ocean technologies contributing to the European reduction in GHG-emissions. The development of ocean technologies – such as solar, wave and tidal energy – has progressed steadily over the past few years, reaching a near mature technology status. Floating PV systems gain track with projects being realised on two-digit Megawatt scale. Those projects, however, are mostly either coastal or inland floating applications. Due to the technological evolvement the cost estimates of solar, wave and tidal energy technologies are expected to decrease further when integrated with offshore wind. Although the unit price of ocean energy technology is higher than that of offshore wind, the inclusion of predictable resources like tidal, wave, and of complementary sources like solar, could increase the cable capacity utilisation and reduce the uncertainty on power generation.
Highlights of ocean energy (solar, wave & tidal) transition pathway
Offshore floating solar dominates the future potential (installed capacity) and requires upscaling in the 2020s
Demonstration and scale-up (floating solar) and early-deployment phase (wave/tidal) in the 2020s resulting in an ambitious 7 TWh/yr of production in 2030 (while 1 GW of ocean energy is the EU target for 2030)
First large growth phase from 2030 (8GW) onwards resulting in almost 20 GW of installed capacity at the end of the decade (in 2040)
For the year 2050 the capacity is set at 30 GW (~40 TWh/yr) which is about two third of the EU target for ocean energy technologies.
Spatial synergies are certainly likely but warrant more detailed investigations (see figure below).
Note: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) potential is low in North Sea. Regarding the potential of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), it should be noted that the North Sea area is not the most suitable location for OTEC. Large depths of about 1000 m and the required difference between high and low surface temperatures do not apply to the North Sea with its shallow waters (100 m in the South and 700 m in the North) and average surface temperatures between 13 and 16 degree centigrade, which is significantly below temperatures that would make a process efficient. Application of Salinity Gradient Energy (SGE) technology, especially in the form of Reverse Electro Dialysis (RED), has potential in the coastal area.
Offshore Ocean Energy (solar, wave and tidal) in Relation to Offshore Wind Production Pathway
Offshore Ocean Energy Potential (solar, wave and tidal).