Clean energy from the waves
The most reliable estimates indicate that the total global wave energy resource could be as high as 80,000TWh/year, equating to five times global electricity consumption. If the potential of technologies like Oyster® is realised, the World Energy Council predicts that the total size of the exploitable resource could be 2000TWh/year.
The most intense wave energy locations are found between 30o and 70o latitude in the northern and southern hemispheres. The UK, Portugal, Spain and Norway in particular harbour excellent resource.
According to the Carbon Trust report Future Marine Energy (2006), the UK’s exploitable wave resource has been estimated at 50TWh/year – enough to meet around 14% of UK electricity demand.
An estimated 30% of Portugal’s electricity demand can be met from wave power. The Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of North and South America also offer excellent resource and commercial opportunities.
Demand for wave energy will be fuelled by its predictability, making it less challenging to integrate with national power supplies. Unlike solar and wind, wave energy levels can be predicted many days in advance.
