A Feasibility Study - Aaltodoc - Aalto-yliopisto

Depending on the chosen cost information, the feasibility of AaltoRO can be drastically
different than the one presented in this thesis. However, since the cost details on each
four areas are equal on each nominal pump capacity, the findings depicted in Figure 53
(the higher the wave power the lower the cost of water) are applicable regardless of the
cost information chosen to perform the calculations.
The most expensive part of the AaltoRO system is the WEC WaveRoller and thus its
price has the most effect on the cost of water. Therefore, sensitivity analysis of its effect
on the cost of water has been conducted assuming, first, that the WEC price is 33 %
lower and, second, that the WEC price is 33 % higher. The results are illustrated in
Table 11 and in Figure 55. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the price of the WEC has
a clear impact on the cost of water produced. The cost difference is the greatest (± 25
%) in Site 2, since it has the lowest permeate production and thus is the most vulnerable
to changes in the cost factors. Likewise, the cost difference is the smallest in Site 4 (±
10 %), since it has the highest permeate production. The cost difference in Site 1
(portrayed in Figure 55) remains on the same level all throughout the study range of
0,03 m³/s – 0,24 m³/s. Thus it can be stated that the cost of water produced is highly
susceptible to the cost of the WEC.
Table 11. Sensitivity analysis of the effect that the WEC price has on the cost of water.
Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4
Minimum price (€/m³) 0,76 1,58 1,03 0,6
Min. price; WEC - 33 % (€/m³) 0,64 1,19 0,85 0,54
% difference - 15 - 25 - 16 - 10
Min. Price; WEC + 33 % (€/m³) 0,88 1,97 1,19 0,66
% difference + 16 + 25 + 18 + 10
Cost of water (€/m³)
1,7
1,5
1,3
1,1
0,9
0,7
0,5
0 0,05 0,1 0,15 0,2 0,25 0,3
WaveRoller nominal pump capacity (m³/s)
Figure 55. Sensitivity analysis of Site 1 with WEC costs - 33%, 0 % and +33 %.
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WEC - 33%
WEC 0 %
WEC + 33%