Ocean Energy in IrelandEngineers Ireland, Midlands Region

Fergus Sharkey, Technology Integration Engineer,

ESB Ocean Energy

25th February 2012

Agenda• ESB and Ocean Energy

• Ocean Energy in Ireland

• Wave and Tidal Energy Conversion

• Status of Device Testing

• Early Stage Projects

• WestWave Project

• Technical and Commercial Readiness

• Summary and Close

ESB and Ocean Energy

Electricity Supply Board, Ireland

• Vertically integrated utility established in 1927.

• Owned by the Irish State with total assets €12.5bn.

• Over 6GW generation capacity and 7,000 staff.

• Consulting over 35 years in over 100 countries.

• Investment strategy to achieve carbon neutrality.

www.esb.ie

ESB - Delivering its mission for 85 YearsNation

building

1927

Ruralelectricification

Securing Ireland’s energy

supply

2012

ElectricityElectricitygeneratedgenerated

CompetitionCO2 & market

integration

Real Real GDPGDP

ESB and Ocean Energy

• World-class resource in Ireland.

• ESB experience in ocean energy.

• Next generation of renewables.

• Position for growth beyond 2020:

Build Capability

– Technology & Research Partnerships

– Engineering Support to projects (e.g. Seagen and AMETS)

Develop ESB Projects

– Pre-Commercial projects (e.g. WestWave)

– Position for Commercial Projects

Ocean Energy in Ireland

What is Ocean Energy?Wave Energy

Solar -> Wind -> Waves (6 – 20s)

Mechanical Energy Flux across oceans dissipates at coastline

Variable but more predictable than wind

Very large resource

Tidal Stream Energy

Celestial Bodies excite tidal fluctuations in ocean (~12 hour period)

High velocity (2-4m/s peak) currents

result at certain locations

Very predictable and base load application a possibility.

but…is there a long term market?UK and RoI Tidal Stream Resource:

but…is there a long term market?UK and RoI Wave Resource:

but…is there a long term market?

• RoI: Demand met with onshore wind alone. Is there a

market for further variable wave energy?

• UK renewable shortfall: but resources are peripheral to

load centres. Can power be imported from Scotland, NI

……or even RoI?

• Growth of UK offshore wind: A signal that a significant market may develop if ocean energy costs become

competitive with offshore wind?

Can marine resources compete?

9,400 W/m2

(average in upper 10m of sea)

Wave(input seastate Hs=6m, Tz=8s, the typical rated

sea state for wave energy converters)

7,000 W/m2Tidal

(input water current at 2.4m/s, the typical rated

velocity of a tidal turbine)

1,100 W/m2Wind

(input wind at 12m/s, the typical rated velocity

of an offshore wind turbine)

Power Density (W / m2)Renewable Resource

Yes, marine renewables can compete, with:

⇒ the right conversion technology

⇒ Bankable reliability and performance

⇒ A bridging market to economies of scale

Wave and Tidal Energy Conversion

TechnologyWave Energy Tidal Stream Energy

Wave: Physical Location

Onshore: Built

into Shoreline

Nearshore:

10-20m depth

Offshore:

50m+ Depth

Wave: Attenuator

Pelamis

Wave: Point Absorber

Wavebob

Wave: Oscillating Wave Surge Converter

Aquamarine

Wave: Oscillating Water Column

WaveGen

Wave: Overtopping

Wave Dragon

Wave: Bulge Wave

Anaconda

Wave: Rotating Mass

Wello Oy

Tidal: Horizontal Axis

MCT SeaGenOpenHydroAtlantis

Tidal: Vertical Axis

Pont Di Archimedes

Tidal: Oscillating Hydrofoil

Pulse Tidal

Tidal: Archimedes Screw

Flumill

Tidal: Tidal Kite

Minesto

Device Testing

filename.ppt 29

Ocean Energy Ltd.

• Cork based

company with

considerable

technical support

from HMRC (UCC)

• Deployed at ¼

Scale at MI test

site in Galway Bay.

• At full-scale, the

device would be

deployed in depths

>50m

filename.ppt 30

OE Buoy: How it works

•Oscillating Water Column (OWC) reacts against a single “backward-bent duct”

structure compressing internal air chamber.

•Power extracted from oscillating airflow between chamber and atmospheric

pressure.

filename.ppt 31

OE Buoy: Survivability•Single Structure providing relatively conventional sea-keeping and hull

integrity problem

•On site throughout winter months in Galway Bay

•Survived 8m wave (32 m full-scale) on site with acceptable mooring loads

•Ready to go to full scale demonstration as next step.

filename.ppt 32

3. Wavebob Ltd.

• “Point-Absorber” type Wave Energy Converter

• Irish Owned Company based in Maynooth

• Wavebob have attracted a lot of international investments and partnerships

such as Vattenfall & Chevron.

filename.ppt 33

Wavebob Ltd: Development Plan

75th Scale

(Tank

Testing)

17th

Scale (Tank

Testing)

¼ Scale (Galway

Bay)

½ Scale

(Portugal)

Full Scale

(Belmullet)

filename.ppt 34

• Developed 75th Scale and 17th Scale models for tank testing of device

including mooring assessment

• Tests undertaken at HMRC (Cork), MARIN (Netherlands) and EC

Nantes (France).

Wavebob Ltd

filename.ppt 35

• Developed and deployed ¼ Scale devices for sea trials:

• 2006 – Galway Bay #1 – First sea trials. Some Mechanical Failures.

• 2007 – Galway Bay #2 – Improved Mechanical Arrangement and Moorings

Wavebob Ltd

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd.• Self-reacting articulated structure, “attenuates” incoming waves.

• Onboard hydraulics converts loads at joints to electrical power for export.

• Rapid connect / disconnect and tow for removal and maintenance

Pelamis – PTO Module

Pelamis: P1 Deployments

• Early Demonstration Variant

• 2004-2007 P1A Prototype Deployed at EMEC, Orkney

• 2008 – 3 x P1 750kW Machines deployed in Aguçadoura, Portugal.

Pelamis: P2 Deployments• 2010 – Eon P2 machine mobilised to Orkney for testing.

• 2011 – Scottish Power owned P2 mobilised to Orkney in Nov 2011

• Extensive work-up test programme underway with both machines.

Pelamis: Lifecycle Readiness

Pelamis: Lifecycle Readiness

PELAMIS VIDEO

Pelamis in Orkney: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1qIkdYqoz4

Pelamis Installation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9nWqUda_0

Aquamarine Power Ltd.

• Nearshore “Surging Flap Oscillator”

• Deployed in 12 m to 16 m water depth (significant surge component to water oscillations.

• Hydraulic power export with onshore hydroelectric plant

Aquamarine Power: Oyster 1

• 2010 – 315kW Oyster 1 Demonstrator Operational at EMEC

• Hydraulic Power Aggregation System to Pelton Wheel turbine house.

Aquamarine Power: Oyster 800

• 2011 –800kW Demonstrator installed at EMEC, nearing completion.

• First of 3 device variants to be deployed and connected to the same

2.4MW onshore hydropower plant.

Aquamarine Power: Oyster 800

APL VIDEO

Aquamarine Oyster 800 in action:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCheEfaoCOs

Marine Current Turbines: SeaGen

• 2008 – 1.2 MW SeaGen Operational in Strangford Lough

• Twin two bladed turbines, raised to surface for maintenance

• 6 GWH produced : PPA with ESBIE

Marine Current Turbines: SeaGen

Early Stage Projects

Pentland Firth Leasing Round

Tidal opportunities in NI

• Potential for ~ 300MW in NI.

• ESBI has completed a site selection study in NI

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) completed

• Have undertaken tidal resource measurements off Antrim coast in 2010

• Crown Estate awarded 200MW tidal in 2012

• Opportunities for ESBI.

Wave Opportunities in RoI

• ESBI applied for foreshore

licences on 5 sites

– Mayo (2), Kerry (2), Clare

• Potential for up to 100MW on

each site

• Strategic Environmental

Assessment underway

• New licensing regime

needed

• ESB in consultation with

DECLG on licencing.

Mayo

WestWave Project

WestWave Project• Opportunity for first wave energy project in Ireland: 5 MW by 2015

• Potential for support from EU NER300: Wave Energy category

• Project will represent Phase 3 of Government Ocean Energy Strategy

• Project consortium includes four of the leading Technology Developers:

– Aquamarine Power Ltd. (Scotland)

– Wavebob Ltd. (Ireland)

– Ocean Energy ltd. (Ireland)

– Pelamis Wave Power Ltd. (Scotland)

WestWave Progress

Technology Procurement – Early Steps Taken

Killard Wave Height

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

23/1

1/20

11 0

0:00

28/1

1/20

11 0

0:00

03/1

2/20

11 0

0:00

08/1

2/20

11 0

0:00

13/1

2/20

11 0

0:00

18/1

2/20

11 0

0:00

23/1

2/20

11 0

0:00

28/1

2/20

11 0

0:00

02/0

1/20

12 0

0:00

07/0

1/20

12 0

0:00

12/0

1/20

12 0

0:00

Date

Hs

(m

)

Hs - Measured

Wave Measurements

underway

Environmental Scoping Reports Published

Seabed Surveys Complete

Grid Offers in

place

filename.ppt 57

WestWave Technology Options

Nearshore

Offshore

ESBIoe TRL Scale:

Commercial Project Readiness 1:1

Pre-commercial Project Readiness 1:1

Ocean Operational Readiness >1:2

Reduced-Risk Full System Verification >1:4

Reduced-Risk Subsystem Verification >1:15

Laboratory and Analytical Verification >1:25

Initial Product Verification >1:100

Technology Stream Initiated n/a

Configuration Described n/a

Invention to Industrial Machinery

ESB Pre-Commercial

Projects

TRL 9

ESB Commercial

Projects

TRL 8

Leading

Technologies

TRL 5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030

€m

/MW

Phase 1

Pre-Commercial

Arrays

Single Device Demo

Phase 2

Small Commercial

Arrays

Phase 3

Large Commercial

Arrays

TransitionTariff Support

Grant Support & Hi Tariff Support

Enduring Tariff

Support

€m/MW

Target Cost Trajectories (€/MW installed)

TRL8 TRL9

Indicative Timeline

Long Term Market

www.esb.ie

Offshore Renewables in an All Islands Market

Wave Resource Regions

Tidal Resource Regions

UK O/Wind Options to R3

~ 50 GW

Future Offshore Options:

Current “Best New Entrant” Renewable:

UK O/Wind Operational 2.6 GW Operational

~7GW planning / approved

=> Wave and Tidal options must be at least as

commercially attractive as future offshore wind options

Onshore Wind

Summary

• Ocean Energy resource in Ireland is huge

• Technology is maturing…. Slowly but surely. MWhrs and even GWhrs are growing.

• Lot of early stage project activity in the UK and Ireland

• Cost reduction is required to secure a long term market