Wave energy Resource in Galicia (NW Spain)

Assessing the optimum location for a WEC pilot plant

Mario Lpez
+-')1%
University of Santiago de Compostela (SPAIN)

INTRODUCTION MATERIAL AND METHODS

288 offshore sea states, representing 4.83
6
x 10

the 79% of the time and the 90% of the 4.82

total annual energy, were selected (each

y coordinate [m]
4.81
one characterized with Hs, TE, and m)
14 10
4.8 nested grid
13
12 200 kW m1
9 4.79 50x50m
11 8
4.78
1
10 1 1 7
4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 5 5.1 5.2 5.3

year ]
1
1 2 1 1
9
1
1
3
3
5
1
2
1
1
1
1 1 6 x coordinate [m] x 10
5

[m]
1 5 7 2 1 1 1

1
Ew,T [MWh m
1 2 7 9 2 1 2 2
7 5
m0
4 3 12 10 3 2 2 3

Galicia is one of the European areas with

H 6
5
1
5
1
3
9
9
17
38
6
9
14
17
27
40
14
16
19
3
5
6
3
4
3
3
2
1
4
2
1
100 kW m
1
4 The WEC selected was the Slot Cone
Generator (SSG) pilot plant, with 10m
2 11 19 69 22 59 23 7 4 1 1

greatest wave energy resource [1] and 4 2

19
13
53
130
31
51
81
35
54
83
114
174
261
37
45
66
84
102
136
34
31
33
9
9
7
4
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
3

length [3]:
3 1

specially the Death Coast [2], with an

3 110 203 123 127 409 91 170 36 11 4 3 50 kW m 2
42 247 232 168 219 507 79 119 27 6 4 3 1
2 4 139 189 276 279 305 441 42 59 12 2 1 2 1
33 113 156 307 285 216 200 13 23 6 1 1 1 1 10 kW m1 1

offshore annual resource of 400 MWh/m

1 1 9 27 46 112 82 49 32 4 7 1 1
1 1
0 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
T [s]
E

Sea states were propagated towards the

coast with SWAN. Two computational
grids were combined:
6
x 10
4.83

SSG power matrix [3]:

4.82
y coordinate [m]

coarse grid
4.81 Wave Period - T E [s]
5 6.1 7.9 9.3 10.6 11.7 12.7

Significant Wave Height -Hm0 [m]

4.8 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

This work aims to determine the 4.79 1.7

2.4
21

67
21

65
21

62
20

60
20

59
20

57
20

56

optimum location in this region for a 4.78 3.6

4.7
144

154
140

152
134

150
130

148
127

146
124

144
122

143

shore-line wave energy pilot plant

4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 5 5.1 5.2 5.3
5.9 155 154 152 151 149 148 147
x coordinate [m] x 10
5

RESULTS
5 hot spots can be highlighted in the map of 4.805
x 10
6

300 The SSG production map was estimated by

the average annual energy: H1, H2, H3, H4, crossing the wave parameters of each
H5, with a similar annual resource available of:
250

propagation with the SSG power matrix for

4.8
ESSG,T [MWh year ]
1

H5

each point of the grid.

200
EW,T 120 MWh/m
y coordinate [m]

4.795

x 10
6
H4 150
The hot spots also correspond to these
4.815
120
4.79
100 areas of higher annual production, specially
4.785 50
H1, H4 and H5, for which the annual
4.81 H1

100
production is:
0
4.78
4.805
4.8 4.85 4.9 4.95
x coordinate [m]
5 5.05 5.1
x 10
5.15
5 ESSG,T > 250 MWh
[MWh m1 year1]

In this work, the optimum site for a 80

y coordinate [m]

6
x 10

shoreline WEC along a very energetic

4.805 30
4.8
H5
coastal strip is evaluated and discussed. 60 4.8
25 The Capture Factor (CPT), computed as the
4.795
H4 20
ratio between the wave energy available and
y coordinate [m]

4.795
the energy produced, is significantly higher
W,T

CPT [%]

40
E

for the H1 situation than for the other hot

4.79 15

H3 4.79

H2 20
10
sports, with a value:
4.785 H1
4.785
CPT > 25 %
H1 5

4.78 0 4.78 0
4.75 4.8 4.85 4.9 4.95 5 5.05 5.1 5.15 4.8 4.85 4.9 4.95 5 5.05 5.1 5.15
x coordinate [m] x 10
5 x coordinate [m] x 10
5

CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES
To determinate the hot spots give a good idea of the best [1] Iglesias, G., Lpez, M., Carballo, R., Castro, A., Fraguela, J.A.,
locations for a WEC, but it is not enough & Frigaard, P. Wave energy potential in Galicia (NW Spain).
Renewable Energy 2009; 34(11):2323-2333.
Energy production maps represent a very interesting tool
[2] Iglesias, G., & Carballo, R. (2009). Wave energy potential
On these grounds, by mapping the CPT of a WEC we can along the Death Coast (Spain). Energy, 34(11), 1963-
estimate the optimum location for a WEC in terms of efficiency 1975.

WEC power matrix are very important when assessing the wave [3] Margheritini, L., Vicinanza, D., & Frigaard, P. SSG wave
energy converter: Design, reliability and hydraulic
energy resource, but they should include additional wave performance of an innovative overtopping device.
parameters (, tidal level, incident and spreading) Renewable Energy 2009; 34(5):1371-1380.

International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy (INORE )

Symposium 2014, 11th-17th May (La Vega, Spain)