The Potential Future Wave Resource Utilisation around Wales

A GIS analysis is used to determine potential deployment areas for wave energy converters in Welsh waters. It is shown that there are substantial areas suitable for wave farm development. A numerical wave model, SWAN, is used as a tool to test the impact and viability of extracting Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) marine renewable energy targets from the GIS defined extraction areas. The effect of wave farms in English waters on Welsh resource is also tested. Wave farms in SW England could cause at most a 10% reduction in wave energy in Welsh deployment areas, but the prime deployment areas around Pembrokeshire would be largely unaffected. This paper suggests that there is a 1.6GW deployment capacity in Welsh waters. However, this magnitude of deployment is unlikely given competing demands on sea space. If it is possible to deploy wave devices of this capacity, under peak generation conditions then coastal reduction in wave height is likely to be noticeable. This may have effects on the south west Gower coast, exposed coasts between Tenby and Milford haven in Pembrokeshire and around Whitesands, based on the tested 1.6GW scenario. It is suggested that numerical modelling of wave resource is crucial to accurately predict technical and practical resources.