Europe

Portugal Announces New Wave Energy Project

Rich Bowden
Worldpress.org contributing editor
Sydney, Australia
October 11, 2006

The venture uses groundbreaking Pelamis wave devices manufactured by Edinburgh firm Ocean Power Delivery, considered the world's leading wave technology.

The viability of harnessing waves as a lucrative renewable energy source received a boost last week following the announcement that the world's first commercial wave energy project will begin delivering wave-generated energy to the north of Portugal later this month.

The first stage of the European Union-funded program, the result of two decades of research at Lisbon's Superior Technical Institute, will bring the first 2.25 megawatts ashore at Aguçadoura, in northern Portugal, and will power 1,500 homes through the national state run electricity grid system according to an Inter Press Service (IPS) report.

Funded by a consortium headed by leading Portuguese renewable energy company Enersis, the venture uses groundbreaking Pelamis wave devices manufactured by Edinburgh firm Ocean Power Delivery, considered the world's leading wave technology.

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"This project, begun in 2003, is now in the world vanguard," said Rui Barros, Enersis director of new projects, to IPS.

"Of all the varieties of renewable energy, perhaps harnessing the waves is the only one where Portugal might have a real future," he said.

With its geographical position and extensive coastline giving access to the larger and more powerful Atlantic waves, official estimates from Portugal's State Secretariat for Industry and Innovation have predicted wave power could account for up to 30 percent of the country's gross domestic product by 2050. Renewable energy experts have determined wave farms in Portugal could yield as much as three times as much energy as that produced by a wind turbine park for the same investment cost.

A report published by the Portuguese Wave Energy Center has confirmed the long-term economic benefits of wave energy for the country and calls on the government to put in place a strategy to attract foreign investment into Portuguese wave power ventures.

"The utilization of wave energy may have a significant socioeconomic impact on Portugal, namely regarding renewables, creation of job opportunities, opportunity of exportation of equipment and services, innovation and development of technology, as well as companies dedicated to the exploitation of other oceanic resources," the report says.

Relatively new in development, modern research into wave power had its beginnings in response to the 1973 oil crisis. Professor Stephen Salter of the University of Edinburgh pioneered research into wave energy with his prototype machine "Salter's Duck." Though the duck remains a laboratory prototype, the machine remains the standard for wave energy.

The experimental device converted around 90 percent of the wave power by bobbing up and down on the surface of the water — like a duck. Despite its early promise though, setbacks and a general lack of government support saw the project shelved.

However, with the Portuguese system set to be the world's first commercial wave energy venture, the exploitation of wave power has found itself back on the renewable energy agenda.

Following the Enersis announcement, other countries naturally suited to the development of wave power have expressed their interest in introducing the technology. Following his recent visit to Aguçadoura, Scottish Executive Enterprise Minister Nicol Stephen announced that a portion of the 8 million pounds already set aside for renewable marine energy in Scotland would now be directed towards installing the Pelamis wave devices at the European Marine Energy Center in Orkney.

"I am committed to supporting Scotland's huge wave and tidal energy resource. Scotland has a real opportunity to be a world leader in this field," said the minister shortly after his visit to view the wave energy project in northern Portugal.

"The opportunity now exists to create a multi-million pound industry based in Scotland, employing thousands of highly skilled people," he said.

However, environmental group Friends of the Earth, while supporting the minister's announcement, sounded a warning that any delays in introducing the wave power technology could lead to an exodus of Scottish expertise.

"Wave and tidal power could supply a fifth of U.K. energy needs and Scotland is ideally placed to generate significant amounts of this pollution-free energy," said Friends of the Earth chief executive Duncan McLaren.

"However, there is a danger that unless we see full-scale devices in our waters soon that the world-leading expertise Scotland has built up will rapidly depart these shores," he said.

As part of the government supported alternative energy plan, another 28 wave power devices will be installed in Portugal within a year, reaching a target of 22.5 megawatts of electricity produced using wave energy. The project is supported by state run power company Energias de Portugal.




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