RenewableS 2013 GlObal STaTUS RePORT - REN21

Ocean Energy
■■Ocean Energy Markets
After the introduction in 2011 of a 254 MW tidal power project
in South Korea and a much smaller 300 kW wave energy facility
in Spain, little new capacity was added in 2012. Commercial
ocean energy capacity remained at about 527 MW by year’s
end, most of this being tidal power facilities, with additional
projects in the pipeline. 1
In September, the Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project off the
U.S. coast of Maine began delivering electricity to the grid. 2
The Ocean Renewable Power Company’s (USA) TidGen device
has a peak output of 180 kW. 3 Across the Atlantic, off the coast
of Portugal, AW Energy (Finland) deployed three 100 kW wave
energy converters, which they call the WaveRoller. These
converters are designed for near-shore applications and sit on
the ocean floor at a depth of 8–20 meters. 4
Other notable ocean energy facilities in operation around the
world at the end of 2012 include France’s Rance tidal power
station (240 MW), which has been in operation since 1966;
tidal plants in Nova Scotia, Canada (20 MW) and in Zhejiang,
China (3.9 MW); and a collection of tidal current and wave
energy projects in the United Kingdom (about 9 MW). 5
In addition to its Sihwa tidal power plant, which came on line in
mid-2011, South Korea has planned to construct several other
tidal plants to achieve national green growth targets. As of early
2013, however, the status of these projects is uncertain. The
country’s 6th Electricity Plan, issued in early 2013, includes the
development of the Gangwha (813 MW) and Garorim (520 MW)
tidal power plants, but public opposition on ecological grounds
may prove to be a hindrance. 6
In the United States, Ocean Power Technologies (USA) received
a license in 2012 for a 1.5 MW wave power station off the coast
of Oregon, with deployment of the first 150 kW PowerBuoy
(wave energy converter) set for 2013. 7 Having received requisite
licenses in 2012, Verdant Power (USA) is now in the build-out
phase of its Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project in New York,
which envisions a 1 MW array of up to 30 tidal turbines in the
East River. 8
In the United Kingdom, the Severn River has long been eyed
as a potential site for a tidal barrage, but it has faced the dual
hurdle of the high economic cost and potential impact on
wildlife. The topic resurfaced in 2012 with a new proposal to
build a USD 50 billion (GBP 30 billion), 6.5 GW barrage across
the 18-kilometre wide Severn estuary south of Cardiff, all with
private funds. If constructed, the scheme could deliver 5% of
the U.K.’s electricity needs. 9
The absence of major new commercial project deployments
must be considered in the context of this industry still being in
relative infancy. There are numerous demonstration projects
in the field or soon to be deployed, particularly in the United
Kingdom. Ocean energy's slow but steady march towards
commercial projects is seen as positive, with particular nearterm
promise for tidal power technology. 10
■■Ocean Energy Industry
The continental shelf of the United Kingdom is a key testing
ground for emerging ocean power technologies. Off the coast
of Orkney, the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) has a
number of wave and tidal devices undergoing testing. In 2012,
the U.K.’s National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) opened
a rig for testing of tidal devices under simulated conditions,
providing valuable information to technology developers. 11
These facilities, and the ocean energy companies carrying
out research and development, receive support from the U.K.
government and from regional authorities, including a USD
167 million (GBP 103 million) investment fund launched by the
Scottish Government, mainly in support of ocean energy. 12 In
Ireland, despite economy-driven funding cuts in recent years,
research activities at maritime research facilities are expected
to expand in 2013, including work on new grid connection for
offshore devices. 13
The expertise gathered in the fertile waters off Scotland is
spawning test facilities elsewhere. EMEC has entered into
agreement with counterparts in Taiwan, Japan, China, South
Korea, the United States, and Canada to provide technical
assistance on ocean power test sites. 14
Government assistance would not go far without the leverage of
funding from private enterprise. As the industry works its way
through the long process of developing and testing different
technologies to harness wave and tidal power, each entity
must secure sustained funding. This generally occurs though
partnerships and joint ventures, or through capital injection via
acquisition by major corporations.
Major power technology corporations have a growing presence
in the ocean energy sector. In 2012, Alstom (France) acquired
Tidal Generation Limited (U.K.), a former subsidiary of Rolls
Royce specialising in tidal turbine technology. Later in the year,
Alstom terminated licencing agreements with Clean Current
(Canada), which develops in-stream tidal turbines. 15 In 2011,
Alstom had taken a 40% share in the Scottish AWS Ocean
Energy Ltd. 16
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Renewables 2013 Global Status Report 39