Ocean Energy
At present, there are several ocean energy test sites being tested around the world. BEO is based in An Spideal, Co. Galway, beside the first ocean energy test site in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland and others are eager to be among the first nations to tap into this energy market. The site is a 37 hectare site, 1 mile east of An Spideal (see below for further information). At present, the Wavebob and Seilean ocean energy devices are being tested at the site. In Britain, the Scottish Executive has recently announced the launch of a £13 (€20) million Marine Energy fund for the development of a new wave farm at the European Marine Energy Centre on the island of Orkney. Other test sites in Europe include the Azores, Espoo in Finland and the Straits of Messina in Italy. Around the world, test sites (proposed and in use) include Oahu, Hawaii, Makah Bay in Washington, Ucluetet in Canada and Kaipara Harbour, Auckland in New Zealand.
Galway Bay Wave Energy Test Site
The Marine Institute, in association with Sustainable Energy Ireland, has established an Ocean Energy Test Site for scaled prototypes of wave energy devices in Galway Bay. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources issued a foreshore lease for the site in March 2006.
The Test site is situated on the North side of Galway Bay, 1 mile East of An Spideal. To avoid conflict with shipping, it is marked by navigation markers on four corners. The site is 37 Hectares in area and is in 21-24 metres of water. A wave recording buoy is installed at the site.
A wave climate recording and modelling programme, carried out by the Marine Institute in 2004, indicated the suitability of the site for testing of 1/3 to 1/5 scale devices. This facility was designed to provide testing facilities for large scale prototypes to fulfill the requirements of phase 3 (Process Model) of the Development and Evaluation Protocol for Ocean Energy Devices.
Guidelines for developers and application forms for developers intending to use the site as part of a testing programme can be viewed at the Marine Institute website.
La Rance, Brittany, France.
Probably, the world’s oldest ocean energy device is located at La Rance tidal barrage, near Saint-Malo in Brittany, France. Construction of this tidal barrage began in 1960 and was completed in 1967. The system used consists of a dam 330m long and a 22km² basin with a tidal range of 8m. The dam consists of a total of 240MW of turbines (24 X 10MW bulb turbines) connected to the 225kV, French transmission network. Each of the 24 turbines has a 5.4m diameter. Electricity generation occurs on both ebbs of the tide, making it easier to anticipate generation levels. The turbines were designed by Electricité de France.
Ocean Energy Associates
BEO’s leading expert on ocean energy is John O Sullivan. He has several years experience in various energy sectors. He has worked in renewable energy with experience in both wind and ocean energy. He is a qualified electrical engineer and and has recently graduated from UCC with a Masters in Coastal Zone Management. For this Masters, he studied the Irish coastline and identified which areas were likely to be developed for ocean energy.
John has practical experience of working with the Irish oceans and has spent several years at sea. He may be interested in assisting you with researching an ocean energy project.