New opportunities | Tapping new resources
Reliable and predictable tidal energy is one of the world’s most significant untapped clean energy resources. Here, IWP&DC takes a look at some of the projects looking to make use of this potential
ACCORDING TO A RECENT report from Allied Market Research, the global wave and tidal energy industry generated $0.5 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $1.3 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 9.4% from 2021 to 2030. The abundance of ocean surface and energy generation capacity in several nations has promoted governments to pursue ocean energy generation as an important source of renewable energy in future – and it is this factor that is driving the growth of the global wave and tidal energy market. The UK Government committed in its recent British
Below: Sustainable Marine’s tidal energy system has been powered up in Canada, delivering electricity to the Nova Scotia grid
Energy Security Strategy to aggressively explore tidal power, prompted by the huge potential in the UK’s tides. Back in May, UK Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, Greg Hands, visited marine energy company Minesto where he was introduced to the firm’s technology and toured the assembly hall facility in Holyhead, North Wales. Initiated by local MP Virginia Crosbie, the visit was part of a tour aiming to showcase the energy potential of Anglesey and puts the island in centre of governmental policymaking. Tidal energy was highlighted as a vital contributor to the net-zero energy system in UK and globally. Minesto’s proposed build-out of an 80MW commercial array in the waters outside Holyhead was also presented to the Minister. The site, named Holyhead Deep, has been verified as an ideal location for a first commercial tidal kite array in the UK to tap into a future gigawatt potential. Key assets established by Minesto in Wales include an Agreement for Lease for a 10MW installation, a state-of-the art assembly hall and a highly skilled commissioning and operations team. “We stand decisive in our commitment to realise the proposed scale-up at our Holyhead Deep site
outside Anglesey in North Wales. Therefore, I was delighted to discuss some of the most critical areas to realise the build-out, including the pertinent need for speedy processes for consenting, licensing, and grid connection with Minister Hands,” said Minesto CEO Martin Edlund. “The green transition requires total commitment, and my meeting with Minister Hands was a good opportunity to urge for rapid governmental policymaking, enabling complementary renewable energy technologies that the world undeniably needs to attain a net-zero energy system.”
Canadian projects It’s not just in the UK where tidal power development
goes on in earnest. In Canada, the Canadian Hydrokinetic Technology Testing Center (CHTTC), and ORPC Canada are set to deploy a RivGen renewable power system with the support of Marine Energy Group/CanmetENERGY-Ottawa this summer.
ORPC’s advanced RivGen Power System harnesses
energy from free-flowing rivers and tidal currents without dams or impoundments. After proving itself over three winters in real world, harsh Alaska conditions, the Igiugig-RivGen Project is the longest operating hydrokinetic project in the Americas. Working in close partnership with the host indigenous community of Igiugig, ORPC has installed an energy storage system and smart grid controls, and with the addition of a second RivGen device in summer 2022, the fully operational RivGen Power System will provide baseload power for the local microgrid and reduce the community’s diesel use by 60-to-90%. “ORPC’s RivGen System has shown outstanding safety and reliability over the past three years in Igiugig, Alaska. We look forward to monitoring, testing and validating the system for the Canadian market at the CHTTC. We are confident that this deployment will accelerate awareness and acceptance among community leaders and policy makers,” said Dr. Eric Bibeau, Associate Professor at University of Manitoba, and CHTTC Director. “River hydrokinetic energy systems provide clean
and renewable energy and have the potential to provide a reliable base load solution at a competitive cost and to be an attractive option for the urgent transition away from diesel fuel reliance by remote, off-grid communities,” said Ghanashyam Ranjitkar, Senior Marine Energy Engineer in Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Technology Sector. Accelerating the transition of off-grid northern communities from their reliance on diesel is a critical and essential step to achieve the goals of the Canadian Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act (Net Zero 2050). “Today, river current devices like RivGen can sustainably and economically address the energy needs of many northern and remote communities as
24 | July 2022 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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