Abstract

Although a number of prospective locations for tidal stream farms have been identified, the development of a unified approach for selecting the optimum site in a region remains a current research topic. The objective of this work is to develop and apply a methodology for determining the most suitable sites for tidal stream farms, i.e. sites whose characteristics maximise power performance, minimise cost and avoid conflicts with competing uses of the marine space. Illustrated through a case study in the Bristol Channel, the method uses a validated hydrodynamics model to identify highly energetic areas and a geospatial Matlab-based program (designed ad hoc) to estimate the energy output that a tidal farm at the site with a given technology would have. This output is then used to obtain the spatial distribution of the levelised cost of energy and, on this basis, to preselect certain areas. Subsequently, potential conflicts with other functions of the marine space (e.g. fishing, shipping) are considered. The result is a selection of areas for tidal stream energy development based on a holistic approach, encompassing the relevant technical, economic and functional aspects. This methodology can lead to a significant improvement in the selection of tidal sites, thereby increasing the possibilities of project acceptance and development.

DOI

10.1016/j.enconman.2016.03.012

Publication Date

2016-06-01

Publication Title

ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT

Volume

117

Publisher

Elsevier BV

ISSN

0196-8904

Embargo Period

2024-11-22

Keywords

Bristol Channel, Economic map, Functional constraints, Levelised cost of energy, Tidal stream energy

First Page

420

Last Page

430

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