EVOLVE project shows 70GW of untapped European marine power

Exploring marine energy prospects for Ireland, Portugal and Great Britain, the spatial modelling study identified almost 60GW of practically viable wave energy and 10GW of tidal stream energy. Divided by territory, the results show resources of 34.8GW in Great Britain, 18.8GW in Ireland and 15.5GW in Portugal.

The two-year initiative was led by Aquatera with support from WavEC Offshore Renewables, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and The University of Edinburgh, along with wave and tidal energy developers CorPower Ocean and Orbital Marine Power. Projections from the study found that 10GW of ocean energy installed in Great Britain alone could save £1.46bn per year in power system dispatch costs, with emissions reduced by up to 1.05 MtCO2. It was found that a more diverse mix of renewables, including ocean energy, results in a more consistent renewable production profile that is better able to meet hourly electricity demands.

“There has been much commentary in recent years about the potential benefits of adding wave and tidal to the broader energy system, but this has been hampered by limited quantifiable studies,” said EVOLVE technical manager Dr Shona Pennock, who also serves as a research associate in Marine Energy within Edinburgh University’s Policy & Innovation Group.