Ocean energy sector on the cusp of growth

October 20, 2010 3:56 PM EDT

The global ocean energy sector is witnessing a sharp turnaround with more than 45 wave and tidal prototypes being ocean tested in 2010 and 2011, after only a dozen were installed in 2009.

According to a new IHS Emerging Energy Research market study, more than 1.8 GW of ocean projects in 16 countries are currently in the pipeline.

The global ocean energy project pipeline is poised to begin scaling if these initial projects are successful, IHS has said.

The ocean energy industry’s recent development has attracted a slew of established energy companies with renewable growth ambitions, including leading European utilities and global technology suppliers — many with hydro and offshore wind experience, IHS says.

Oceans, which cover more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface, generate two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.

All coastal areas consistently experience two high and two low tides over a period of slightly greater than 24 hours. For those tidal differences to be harnessed into electricity, the difference between high and low tides must be at least five meters, or more than 16 feet, it says.

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According to U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), there are only about 40 sites on the Earth with tidal ranges which have sufficient magnitude to generate energy.

Boosted by government and policy support, the UK is currently the world’s leading market for ocean energy, with 300 MW of projects in the pipeline seeking to be installed over the next five years, the IHS report says.

The UK government hopes to add 1.3 GW by 2020, driven by its need to meet legally binding 2020 renewable targets. Ireland, France, Portugal, South Korea and Australia are also key ocean energy markets and will remain the industry’s primary focus for the next decade, according to the study.

However, according to DoE, there are no tidal power plants in the United States currently. But it says conditions are good for tidal power generation in both the Pacific Northwest and the Atlantic Northeast regions of the country.

Wave power devices extract energy directly from surface waves or from pressure fluctuations below the surface. There is enough energy in the ocean waves to provide up to 2 terawatts of electricity (a terawatt is equal to a trillion watts), according to renewable energy analysts.

Wave-power rich areas of the world include the western coasts of Scotland, northern Canada, southern Africa, Australia, and the northeastern and northwestern coasts of the United States, says DoE. In the Pacific Northwest alone, it's feasible that wave energy could produce 40–70 kilowatts (kW) per meter (3.3 feet) of western coastline. The West Coast of the United States is more than a 1,000 miles long, it says.

Of the various forms of ocean energy, tidal energy is poised to mature first, with the promise of providing predictable, lower-cost electricity and a standard design, says IHS. Tidal is attracting major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) into the ocean energy industry’s supply side.

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