Nov 27 2009
According to the research studies conducted by the researchers at University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Estaca de Bares and Costa da Morte in La Coruna, Galicia are the coastal areas in the Iberian Peninsula that are best for harnessing energy from waves. The two initiating research studies are published in the journals, Renewable Energy and Energy. According to Gregorio Iglesias, co-author of both studies, the Costa da Morte, which is between Sisargas and Finisterre islands, and the Estaca de Bares have the potential to install systems to utilize wave energy.
Both the places are located around La Coruna coast in Iberian Peninsula. The research study shows that waves along the Costa da Morte can generate wave energy up to 50kW/m of water, and it can be 40kW/m of water at Estaca de Bares. The energy level of the waves decreases moving eastwards through the Cantabrian Sea and through the Atlantic towards the south.
The team has also found out that the power of waves for energy production is not strong in the Mediterranean Sea. For the first time, the study analyses the wave energy potential of Galician waters. The data for the research is collected from maritime climate studies conducted at 20 sites. The studies focus on wave patterns over a period of time, in deep water along the Galician coast. The data is collected from buoys, namely, Langosteira, Vilán-Sigargas, Cabo Silleiro and Estaca de Bares, and from SIMAR-44 dataset for 16 nodes. The SIMAR-44 dataset is a series of atmospheric and oceanographic parameters which is generated with the data collected between 1958 and 2001.
This study has helped Gregorio Iglesias to prove waves as a source of renewable energy, and this finding may play an important role to comply with Kyoto Protocol and to reduce greenhouse gases. The researchers have also designed a wave energy generation system called ‘WaveCat’. This is a floating steel structure with turbines to produce electricity.
Source: http://www.plataformasinc.es/