Ireland is perhaps few of the countries in the world blessed with rough seas surrounding its shores, the ideal location for harnessing energy from the tremendous might of the waves. The North Atlantic Ocean adjoining Ireland is the pathway to the Gulf Stream, cold air masses from the Greenland and the winds from North America. The wind travels uninhibited across the water mass of this zone – one of the longest in the world – giving rise to wave energy of around 70 kilowatts per meter wave. The Irish government, its University research departments and private entrepreneurs are looking at opportunities to tap the wave power to meet the energy requirements of the country.
The government aspires to harvest 75 megawatts of wave energy by 2012 and by 2020, the figure is expected to touch 500 megawatts. It also hopes to export services and equipments. Wavebob and Ocean Energy have already installed wave power prototypes in Galway Bay and would experiment with other large prototypes in an energy park created to the north, off the coast of county Mayo.
There are certain challenges to deploying wave power devices. There is high cost involved in the construction of the projects. The devices must survive storm damage and saltwater corrosion. This leads to prototypes that are so overbuild that the material costs inhibits affordable production. Wave power will only be competitive when the total cost of generation is reduced.
Besides Ireland, Portugal is working on installing three 750kW wave energy devices at Agucadora Wave Park. There are plans to set up wave farms in the Orkneys, off Scotland and a 20MW Wave hub off the north coast of Cornwall, England.
Source: SmartPlanet
