Wave and Tidal Current Energy
Technologies under development in the
UK
The UK-China Ocean Energy Technology Cooperation Project;
expand to include Korea?
Bernard McNelis
IT Power
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Incorporated 1981 (Derrick, Fraenkel & McNelis cofounders)
Renewable energy & climate change consultancy
Policy, strategy & planning work for sustainable
development, carbon management & trading
Project management and technical implementation
of energy solutions
Expertise in sustainable energy technologies: marine,
hydro, solar, wind, biomass, hybrids, co-generation,
energy efficiency
Investment advise and due diligence services
Early days projects
Stirling engine
Micro-hydro
Wind-pumps
Solar PV
Micro-wind
River Current Turbines (1979-82)
Purpose – pumping irrigation
water
Financed by the Netherlands
Government as an aid project
why tidal current power ?
• accurately predictable energy supply
• only a niche market – but a $500billion niche market
• completely sustainable – minimal environmental impact
• a tidal site is like an oil well – except it will never run out
San Bernardino Current –
Philippines
Ocean Energy
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A significant resource that has not yet been
tapped commercially.
Has the potential to supply major electricity
demand, and adds diversity to the energy
mix.
The technology is just moving from
prototypes to early commercial machines.
Presents an unparalleled opportunities for
entry for developers and companies to
move into a new industry.
ITPower - Tidal Energy Pioneer
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ITPower’s Peter Fraenkel
published paper proposing
Tidal Turbines in 1989
British Government, and
others, highly sceptical
After 15 year uphill battle for
support, World’s first working
turbine (15 kW) installed in
Scotland in 1994
Seaflow installed
30 May 2003
Operational
rotor raised for access
rated power 300kW @
2.5m/s
World’s first full-size, and only
offshore tidal current turbine
Low cost access
from a RIB
Marine Current Turbines (MCT) established by ITPower as new company
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Seaflow in typical exposed offshore conditions
located 3km NE of Lynmouth
the SeaGen tidal current turbine
progress report
Peter Fraenkel
Technical Director
Marine Current Turbines Ltd
The Court, The Green,
Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8PD, UK.
...and SeaGen in typical www.marineturbines.com
conditions
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MCT’s SeaGen
transported by cranebarge “Rambiz”
SeaGen is lowered to the seabed
04:35hrs 2 April 2008
SeaGen: 1.2 MW
operational since
summer 2008
News Flash: 17th February, Siemens to acquire 100% of MCT
Technology Developing Fast
Openhydro
Hammerfest Strom
Atlantis
Rolls Royce
Pulse Tidal
MCT
Tidal Fence
• Multiple turbines stretched across a tidal race.
• Connected to the shore at one or both ends
• Turbines share a common bridge structure.
Lower density fence
Higher density fence
Severn Fence Proposal
The Pulse-Stream 100
Pilot Plant to Commercial Device
2007
Tank
Testing
2008
PS100
Design
2009
PS100
Demonstration
2010
2011
2012
2013
PSCD
Preliminary
Design
Pulse-Stream
Pilot Plant
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UK-China Ocean Energy Technology
Cooperation
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3-year Project funded by British Foreign & Commonwealth
Office (FCO): China Prosperity SPF Strategy, with co-funding
from project partners
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Objectives:
 generate resource and cost / economic data to enable
policy makers to refine the goals of the 12th Five Year
Plan, i.e. set indicative targets for ocean energy.
 accelerate the development of ocean energy technologies
 promote UK-China cooperation in research, development
and deployment.
UK-TI China Workshop, Beijing 22 Feb 2012
Project Outputs
Phase 1 to 31 March 2012
1. Status Report on Ocean Energy Technologies and
applications in China and UK.
2. Preliminary China Resources Assessment for wave and
tidal stream with first indicators of energy potential.
3. Recommended Guidelines for tidal barrage
environmental impact assessment.
4. Ocean Energy Roadmap and Policy Recommendations.
UK Ocean Energy Study Tour
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Power organised the Ocean Energy Study Tour,
Task 1.2 of the UK-China Ocean Energy Technology
Co-operation Project.
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Tour was from 7th to 16th September 2011. 10
delegates were from universities, ocean energy
institutes and specialists in ocean energy.
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Tour included attending the European Wave and
Tidal Energy Conference(EWTEC), presentations on
the Severn Tidal Barrage Proposal and IT Power
Ocean Energy Technology Database, Visiting EMEC,
Pelamis, NaREC, SeaGen etc.
UK Ocean Energy Study Tour
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Visiting the Southampton University Ocean and Wave Energy
Laboratory
UK Ocean Energy Study Tour
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Visiting Pelamis Wave Power in Edinburgh. This is the most
advanced design and operating wave energy converter
UK Ocean Energy Study Tour
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Visiting the SeaGen 1.2 MW Project in Strangford Loch near
Belfast in Northern Ireland. This is the most advanced tidal
current energy technology
Resource Assessment Workshop，Beijing
December 2011
Progress to date
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Project launch meetings in Beijing (29 September) and London (13
October)
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Study Tour to UK (06-17 September)
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Draft Technology Status Report completed (November)
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Draft Tidal Barrage Report completed (December)
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Resource Assessment Workshop (09 December)
Next Steps
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Consultations with Chinese Experts and finalisation of
Technology Status Report
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Consultations with Chinese Experts and finalisation of Barrage
Report
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Resource Assessment estimates based on published data
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Scenarios for realisable energy potential
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Draft RoadMap
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Workshop to present and discuss RoadMap (April 2012)
Installed Capacity
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UK total marine renewable energy installed
capacity is 4.4MW
– 1.31 MW - wave energy capacity
– 3.05 MW - tidal stream capacity
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Worldwide installed capacity is 7.5 MW
1.7MW – wave
– 5.8MW - tidal stream
UK Future
• 60MW of ocean energy projects planned for next
4 years.
• Prototypes and small arrays <5MW.
• 11MW obtained planning permission.
• Larger arrays of up to 10MW being planned.
Oceans of Opportunity
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A significant resource that has not yet been tapped commercially.
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Has the potential to supply major electricity demand, and adds
diversity to the energy mix.
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The technology is just moving from prototypes to early
commercial machines.
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Presents unparalleled opportunities for entry for developers and
companies to move into a new industry likely to be worth >$100
bn
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IT Power is well positioned to assist and advise.
Business Potential (1 of 2)
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Potential of $100bn to $300bn in electricity sales
from wave and tidal technologies
In Europe capital investment of approx $5bn in
each of wave and tidal technologies by 2020
expected.
Global wave and tidal equipment market is
estimated as >$100bn
Significant markets worldwide
Business Potential (2 of 2)
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2010 saw renewed partnering and investment by
major players in the market including Alstom,
Rolls Royce, ABB, Voith, Siemens
However number of developers looking for
strategic partners is now limited (window of
opportunity is closing)
Industry growth is similar to wind industry and
there are synergies with the developing offshore
wind industry
Wave + Tidal Prospects - Industry
Growth
Conclusions; What We Looking Forward to
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Funding for scale-up to arrays
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Strategic Investment, big players, with patience, and
confidence
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Like the wind industry 20 years ago, however, the entry is
narrower, as it requires more marine and engineering
experience, and more complex technology
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UK-China technology co-operation, including pilot
demonstration projects!
Thank You!
Bernard McNelis
ITPower Beijing Office
bernard.mcnelis@itpower.co.uk