THE FINDINGS of a recently published report which forecast that wave energy would not develop significantly in Ireland “for at least a decade” due to investment difficulties and the “unproven nature” of the technology, have been challenged by a leading ocean energy developer.
The energy audit of Co Mayo by the Sustainability Institute, headed by former Green Party member Andy Wilson, said that investors were “pulling out of renewable energy projects, blaming the global recession and world energy prices”.
The audit suggested that biomass from existing forestry resources and biogas from waste and silage offered a more secure long-term alternative energy future as fossil fuels depleted.
The audit, the first of its type in Ireland, suggested that Mayo’s existing coniferous resource could be used up over a 20-year period. It points out that medium-term rotation coppicing of broad-leaved woodland over an eight to 20-year period is most promising and does not require large injections of outside funding.
However, the negative findings have been challenged at a marine energy conference in Washington where John McCarthy, chief executive of Ocean Energy Ltd, called on the Government to “fast track key development issues”. The State’s ocean energy development unit also needs “sufficient resources”.
Mr McCarthy, who heads one of several companies involved in the State’s research on wave energy, says he believes Ireland can still become the world leader in the sector, creating up to 20,000 jobs by 2020.
Mr McCarthy told the conference that the renewable power potential of the ocean energy sector was comparable with that of wind, which currently employs over 400,000 worldwide.
“Ireland has the potential to seize the initiative and become the world leader,” he said. “Germany, Spain and Denmark have cornered the jobs in wind industry with over 75 per cent of the sector’s jobs . . . They are the main manufacturers of wind turbines and it is this manufacturing which accounts for over 70 per cent of the jobs.
“The solution in our opinion is to develop ocean technology in Ireland where we have the resource, the research and development facilities, the people and the initiative to make it happen . . . While the Irish Government’s stated commitment to the ocean energy sector and its development plans are welcome, the industry needs to see some real headway made to back up the Government’s stated objectives of 75MW installed by 2012 and 500MW by 2020,” he said.
Development of ocean energy was a stated objective in the Government’s “smart economy” document published last December, and the sector would like to see these aspirations being implemented before other countries achieve “first mover” advantage, Mr McCarthy said.
“The potential economic opportunity has not been lost on the US either. President Barack Obama has already met American advocates of ocean energy,” he said.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label wave energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wave energy. Show all posts
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Wave energy may be on national grid by 2009
WAVE energy could be producing electricity for the Irish market by 2009, following successful tests off the west coast.
Specialised wave energy company, Ocean Energy, has just completed eight months of tests using a wave energy converter known as the OE Buoy.
They now say that the trials, in severe sea conditions in Galway Bay, have proved that the Irish-designed and built technology can generate a commercially viable source of power.
If everything goes according to plan, the company hopes to be in a position to supply electricity to the national grid by 2009.
Testing of OE Buoy took place at a Marine Institute-designated site and the results have been validated by the Hydraulic Marine Research Centre at University College Cork.
Worldwide, only two other companies are at the same level of testing of wave energy systems, one in Denmark and one in Scotland.
Dr Tony Lewis of the research centre at UCC said yesterday: “If Ireland could capture this opportunity then we have the potential to create a substantial number of jobs, solve our energy problems, and become a world leader in the production of wave energy devices.”
Ocean Energy’s John Keating said the data collected indicates the project is commercially feasible and that the results also show that the government’s wave energy generation target of 500 mega watts by 2020, as set out in its Ocean Energy Strategy, is achievable.
“In fact, the interim target of 75 mega watts by 2012, recently set by the Green Party when they entered Government, is also on course to be met,” he said.
By 2020 wave power generation will contribute just over 7% of the country’s total 7,000 mega watt output, he predicted. Dr Lewis says there is no reason Ocean Energy should not become a world leader in the production of wave energy generation. The 28-tonne OE Buoy was assembled in Cork and moored off Spiddal, Co Galway, on Christmas Day of 2006.
Irish Examiner
Specialised wave energy company, Ocean Energy, has just completed eight months of tests using a wave energy converter known as the OE Buoy.
They now say that the trials, in severe sea conditions in Galway Bay, have proved that the Irish-designed and built technology can generate a commercially viable source of power.
If everything goes according to plan, the company hopes to be in a position to supply electricity to the national grid by 2009.
Testing of OE Buoy took place at a Marine Institute-designated site and the results have been validated by the Hydraulic Marine Research Centre at University College Cork.
Worldwide, only two other companies are at the same level of testing of wave energy systems, one in Denmark and one in Scotland.
Dr Tony Lewis of the research centre at UCC said yesterday: “If Ireland could capture this opportunity then we have the potential to create a substantial number of jobs, solve our energy problems, and become a world leader in the production of wave energy devices.”
Ocean Energy’s John Keating said the data collected indicates the project is commercially feasible and that the results also show that the government’s wave energy generation target of 500 mega watts by 2020, as set out in its Ocean Energy Strategy, is achievable.
“In fact, the interim target of 75 mega watts by 2012, recently set by the Green Party when they entered Government, is also on course to be met,” he said.
By 2020 wave power generation will contribute just over 7% of the country’s total 7,000 mega watt output, he predicted. Dr Lewis says there is no reason Ocean Energy should not become a world leader in the production of wave energy generation. The 28-tonne OE Buoy was assembled in Cork and moored off Spiddal, Co Galway, on Christmas Day of 2006.
Irish Examiner
Monday, 23 April 2007
Irish wave energy project buoyed by successful trials
AN IRISH company which has developed a revolutionary wave energy device is poised to capture a massive slice of the sector’s €200 billion global market.
Ocean Energy Ltd, based in Cork, is about to ramp up its multi-million euro product development following successful sea trials in Galway Bay of its OE Bouy wave energy convertor.
A quarter-scale model of the device, designed to harness the power of the sea, was moored a mile offshore, near Spiddal, on Christmas Day, and survived some of the roughest storms in almost 20 years.
Designed to cope with swells of five metres, it was battered by regular storm surges with waves measuring up to eight metres.
A force 11 storm on New Year’s Eve swamped the device with waves peaking at 8.2 metres.
Despite the extreme conditions, the scale model remained intact and passed all its tests with flying colours, company director, Mick Whelan said.
“About 2.2 million pieces of data were analysed proving the viability of the device,” he said.
The successful trials mean Ocean Energy can now move on to phase two of the development — installing turbines on the device to generate electricity.
The company was founded in 2002 by Michael Whelan and John McCarthy.
Mr Whelan has over 30 years of experience working in an offshore environment as a commercial diver and salvage expert operating his own towing and salvage company.
Mr McCarthy is an accountant by profession, with previous experience in the field of renewable energy.
“We want to put Ireland on the map for renewable energy. We want to be at the forefront of renewable energy technology,” Mr Whelan said.
“The potential spin-off in terms of jobs and wealth creation is incredible.”
The next phase of testing will begin in the coming weeks. Power output from the turbines will be measured over a period of about four months.
Mr Whelan said he is hopeful that they can move on to the production of a full-scale model before the end of the year.
The concept has been developed over the last two years by Ocean Energy in partnership with the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre (HMRC) at University College Cork.
HMRC director, Dr Tony Lewis, praised the company’s slow and steady approach.
“Other companies around the world are engaged in this kind of research,” he said.
“But they are not testing each stage of development properly and now they are encountering problems that cannot be easily resolved.
“This project has completed a painstaking process of research and development to get us to where we are today.”
Mr Whelan said that a full-scale model, measuring 40 metres and weighing 650 tonnes, could generate enough energy to power 500 homes at peak.
How it works
The buoy is moored on the surface of the ocean, in areas where the water is between 30-50 metres deep, with a large horizontal tunnel below the surface.
Water pressure in the tunnel forces a column of water up into a vertical duct.
As the wave motion rocks the device, the water in the duct rises and falls, forcing air at speed out through a turbine.
The air spins the turbine’s fans which in turn generate electricity.
The power is transferred back to shore via underwater cables.
Ocean Energy Ltd, based in Cork, is about to ramp up its multi-million euro product development following successful sea trials in Galway Bay of its OE Bouy wave energy convertor.
A quarter-scale model of the device, designed to harness the power of the sea, was moored a mile offshore, near Spiddal, on Christmas Day, and survived some of the roughest storms in almost 20 years.
Designed to cope with swells of five metres, it was battered by regular storm surges with waves measuring up to eight metres.
A force 11 storm on New Year’s Eve swamped the device with waves peaking at 8.2 metres.
Despite the extreme conditions, the scale model remained intact and passed all its tests with flying colours, company director, Mick Whelan said.
“About 2.2 million pieces of data were analysed proving the viability of the device,” he said.
The successful trials mean Ocean Energy can now move on to phase two of the development — installing turbines on the device to generate electricity.
The company was founded in 2002 by Michael Whelan and John McCarthy.
Mr Whelan has over 30 years of experience working in an offshore environment as a commercial diver and salvage expert operating his own towing and salvage company.
Mr McCarthy is an accountant by profession, with previous experience in the field of renewable energy.
“We want to put Ireland on the map for renewable energy. We want to be at the forefront of renewable energy technology,” Mr Whelan said.
“The potential spin-off in terms of jobs and wealth creation is incredible.”
The next phase of testing will begin in the coming weeks. Power output from the turbines will be measured over a period of about four months.
Mr Whelan said he is hopeful that they can move on to the production of a full-scale model before the end of the year.
The concept has been developed over the last two years by Ocean Energy in partnership with the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre (HMRC) at University College Cork.
HMRC director, Dr Tony Lewis, praised the company’s slow and steady approach.
“Other companies around the world are engaged in this kind of research,” he said.
“But they are not testing each stage of development properly and now they are encountering problems that cannot be easily resolved.
“This project has completed a painstaking process of research and development to get us to where we are today.”
Mr Whelan said that a full-scale model, measuring 40 metres and weighing 650 tonnes, could generate enough energy to power 500 homes at peak.
How it works
The buoy is moored on the surface of the ocean, in areas where the water is between 30-50 metres deep, with a large horizontal tunnel below the surface.
Water pressure in the tunnel forces a column of water up into a vertical duct.
As the wave motion rocks the device, the water in the duct rises and falls, forcing air at speed out through a turbine.
The air spins the turbine’s fans which in turn generate electricity.
The power is transferred back to shore via underwater cables.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)