Galicia, with average powers of between 40-45 kW / m at indefinite depths, is the area of the Spanish coast that presents the highest potential values for the use of wave energy, or wave energy, followed by Cantabria and the northern façade of the Canary Islands.
This is determined according to the study carried out by the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria on behalf of the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDEA) to be integrated into the new Renewable Energy Plan 2011-2020, currently in the final phase of elaboration, and that for the first time includes the role of this technology to achieve the objectives set.
The 'Study of the energy potential of waves in Spain', one of the sixteen that the IDEA has collected as a support for the new PER, has been presented today in Madrid in an act in which the rector of the University of Cantabria, Federico Gutiérrez-Solana and the general director of idea, Alfonso Beltrán García Echaniz, participated.
MARINE ENERGY POTENTIAL
The seas and oceans represent one of the largest sources of renewable energy available on our planet, offering enormous energy potential that, through different technologies, can be transformed into electricity and contribute to meeting our energy needs.
The energy resource of the sea manifests itself in different ways: waves, sea currents, tides, temperature differences or thermal gradients, which gives rise to the different technologies for its use; technologies such as wave, to obtain energy from waves; tidal, tidal; etc.
The energies of the sea, although still in the phase of technological R&D, are considered an emerging industry. Thus, the development of techniques to generate electricity at sea, both on the coast and far from it, and integrate it into the grid, has become a reality and of special interest to countries of the European Union, so that the use of these resources can be done in a sustainable way; that is, technically, economically and environmentally viable.
Within Europe, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain are the main countries where different technologies are being developed in this field and our country aspires to become a reference and world leader of the future, as it is now in other renewable technologies, such as wind or solar thermal.
Spain, in fact, has an important marine energy potential, being the most promising, due to the characteristics of our coast, the wave energy, with a viable and high quality resource for its exploitation.
THE STUDIO
The objective of the study carried out by the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of Cantabria was to elaborate an atlas of the potential of the wave energy resource on the Spanish coast, including the peninsula, canary archipelago and Balearic Islands.
The atlas includes the spatial characterization of the average flow of energy (magnitude and direction) from indefinite depths to the coast, with a high resolution and taking into account its temporal variability at different scales: monthly, seasonal, annual and interannual.
The results obtained are presented in the form of maps along the entire coast, maps by calculation meshes and summary sheets in more than 1000 points along the coast, at 20, 50, 100 meters of draft and at indefinite depths.
The Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria is considered a national and international benchmark in research, studies and tools for the management of all aquatic ecosystems.
The study presented today at IDEA is the first of its kind to be carried out in our country and, starting today, through a computer application, it will be posted on the IDEA website: www.idae.es. (EUROPA PRESS)
Authors: admin
