Elsevier

Renewable Energy

Volume 99, December 2016, Pages 80-94
Renewable Energy

Multi-criteria evaluation of wave energy projects on the south-east Australian coast

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.06.036Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Geo-spatial multi-criteria evaluation approach to identify optimal locations for wave energy projects.

  • Integrated approach using wave climate, seabed geology, distance to infrastructure, environmental and socioeconomic factors.

  • Various scenarios explored with stakeholders input and testing of sensitivity to weighting of parameters and spatial persistence of model outputs.

  • Physical, environmental and socio-economic parameters used at a spatial scale that informs localised site selection across an 11,800 km2 region.

Abstract

In the last decade, multiple studies focusing on national-scale assessments of the ocean wave energy resource in Australia identified the Southern Margin to be one of the most energetic areas worldwide suitable for the extraction of wave energy for electricity production. While several companies have deployed single unit devices, the next phase of development will most likely be the deployment of parks with dozens of units, introducing the risk of conflicts within the marine space.

This paper presents a geo-spatial multi-criteria evaluation approach to identify optimal locations to deploy a wave energy farm while minimizing potential conflicts with other coastal and offshore users. The methodology presented is based around five major criteria: ocean wave climatology, nature of the seabed, distance to key infrastructure, environmental factors and potential conflict with other users such as shipping and fisheries.

A case study is presented for an area off the south-east Australian coast using a total of 18 physical, environmental and socio-economic parameters. The spatial restrictions associated with environmental factors, wave climate, as well as conflict of use, resulted in an overall exclusion of 20% of the study area. Highly suitable areas identified ranged between 11 and 34% of the study area based on scenarios with varying criteria weighting. By spatially comparing different scenarios we identified persistence of a highly suitable area of 700 km2 off the coast of Portland across all model domains investigated. We demonstrate the value of incorporation spatial information at the scale relevant to resource exploitation when examining multiple criteria for optimal site selection of Wave Energy Converters over broad geographic regions.

Introduction

Diminishing fossil fuel reserves and concern about global warming have stimulated the advancement of alternative energy sources. Concurrently, as energy demand and awareness of the need for renewable energy sources increase, interest in alternative forms of energy from marine resources, such as those produced by waves and tides, are receiving global attention. This has the potential to be translated into increased investment into wave energy projects and their implementation in the future.

Australia has long been identified as one of the world’s best wave energy resources [63]. Recent studies have shown that the Australian Southern Margin is one of the world’s most energetic areas suitable for the extraction of wave energy for electricity production, with an average yearly power of about 30 kW/m at the 25 m isobath [4], [31], [34]. Moreover, Australia’s distinct population distribution with over 80% found within 50 km of the coast [35] strengthen the need to facilitate the development of renewable energy projects within proximity to energy demand centres while also reducing the country high reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production (over 95% in the state of Victoria alone [3]). The state of Victoria has recently released an action plan which principal objective is to accelerate the development of renewable energy generation with a goal of 20% of electricity generation by renewables by 2020 [60].

While several Australian companies have deployed single pilot wave energy converters (WEC) in the marine environment, the next phase of development will most likely be the deployment of full generation parks with dozens of units forming wave farms. This next stage is already underway in Western Australia with Carnegie Wave Energy Limited having installed multiple devices in its pilot test site at Garden Island near Perth in March 2015 [65].

The development of wave farms imposes restrictions on the accessibility and use of the surrounding marine space, introducing the risk of conflicts with other marine resource users and stakeholders. Other renewable energy projects, such as onshore [15] and offshore [38] wind farms, have already faced such challenges and benefited from using a transparent and robust spatial planning process, commencing at project inception, to increase the chance for public acceptance and institutional support.

This paper presents a methodology based on geo-spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) in order to identify optimal locations to deploy a wave energy farm while minimizing conflicts with other coastal and offshore users. We present a case study along a stretch of coast in excess of 500 km in south-east Australia where a MCE methodology is applied. The justification for the choice of major criteria, sub-factors used in the study, and sensitivity to parameters employed are discussed. We then present the implications of the MCE approach to the study area including the sensitivity of parameters and influence on site selection.

The paper is structured as follows. Section 2 introduces the methodology and the preliminary screening process with the project stakeholders. Section 3 provides a presentation of all 18 GIS parameters considered within the MCE. Section 4 details the generation process of the five major criteria used to identify the most suitable sites. The application of the methodology and results for the case study are then presented and supplemented with a sensitivity analysis. Finally Section 5 presents conclusions and recommendations for future works.

Section snippets

Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE)

Most of the recent efforts in relation to WEC planning in Australia have been on resource characterisation, at a regional scale at best [4], [31], [34]. While it is obvious that the wave energy resource will have a great influence on the choice of a project site, studies in Europe [16], [26], [46], [48], [68], [69] North Africa [58] and North-America [39] recently highlighted the need to take in account the technical and socio-economic factors in the marine spatial planning process at a

Presentation of the study area

The study area (Fig. 2) extended from Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne in the east to the South Australian-Victorian border in the west, encompassing more than 500 km of coastline and an analyses extent covering over 11,800 km2. The offshore extent of the study area was set to 12 Nautical miles (nm), corresponding to the legal definition of the “Territorial Sea”. Australia’s sovereignty extends to the Territorial Sea, its seabed and subsoil, and to the air space above it [27]. The study area

Major criteria classification

The WC criteria layer (Fig. 9) was designed to take into account the yearly average wave power available, a minimum wave height cut-off and the extreme wave conditions at the site previously calculated. Each of these three (3) factors were normalised, attributed a weight or a restrictive status (Table 1) and summed to create the major criteria describing the wave climate at the site, with site suitability increasing with this criterion value.

The generation of the seabed (SB) criteria layer (

Conclusions

In this study we present a methodology for selecting the most suitable locations for Wave Energy Conversion considering technical, socio-economic, and environmental parameters. The suitability of the sites was evaluated based on five essential criteria; the quality of the wave energy resource, the proximity of infrastructure, the suitability of the seabed, restrictions associated with environmental factors and an emphasis on limiting conflicts with other users of the marine space.

The procedure

References (69)

  • S. Jay

    Planners to the rescue: spatial planning facilitating the development of offshore wind energy

    Mar. Pollut. Bull.

    (2010)
  • V. Krivtsov et al.

    Disruption to benthic habitats by moorings of wave energy installations: a modelling case study and implications for overall ecosystem functioning

    Ecol. Model.

    (2012)
  • D. Latinopoulos et al.

    A GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation for wind farm site selection. A regional scale application in Greece

    Renew. Energy

    (2015)
  • L. Liberti et al.

    Wave energy resource assessment in the Mediterranean, the Italian perspective

    Renew. Energy

    (2013)
  • I. López et al.

    Review of wave energy technologies and the necessary power-equipment

    Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev.

    (2013)
  • A. Nobre

    Geo-spatial multi-criteria analysis for wave energy conversion system deployment

    Renew. Energy

    (2009)
  • A. Palha et al.

    The impact of wave energy farms in the shoreline wave climate: portuguese pilot zone case study using Pelamis energy wave devices

    Renew. Energy

    (2010)
  • R. Prest et al.

    Using GIS to evaluate the impact of exclusion zones on the connection cost of wave energy to the electricity grid

    Energy Policy

    (2007)
  • I.N. Radiarta et al.

    GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation models for identifying suitable sites for Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) aquaculture in Funka Bay, southwestern Hokkaido, Japan

    Aquaculture

    (2008)
  • L. Sartini et al.

    Comparing different extreme wave analysis models for wave climate assessment along the Italian coast

    Coast. Eng.

    (2015)
  • J.P. Sierra et al.

    Wave energy potential along the Atlantic coast of Morocco

    Renew. Energy

    (2016)
  • B. Zanuttigh et al.

    A methodology for multi-criteria design of multi-use offshore platforms for marine renewable energy harvesting

    Renew. Energy

    (2016)
  • AMSA

    Ship Reporting Instructions for the Australian Area 2012 Edition

    (2012)
  • Australian Department of Industry and Science

    2015 Australian Energy Update

    (2015)
  • D.A. Bennett

    A framework for the integration of geographical information systems and modelbase management

    Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci.

    (1997)
  • N. Booij et al.

    A third-generation wave model for coastal regions: 1. Model description and validation

    J. Geophys. Res.

    (1999)
  • A. Butler et al.

    Assessment of the Conservation Values of the Bonney Upwelling Area: a Component of the Commonwealth Marine Conservation Assessment Program 2002-2004: Report to Environment Australia

    (2002)
  • BVG Associates

    Value Breakdown for the Offshore Wind Sector, Report Prepared for the UK Renewable Advisory Board (RAB)

    (2010)
  • Carbon Trust

    Accelerating Marine Energy

    (2011)
  • S.J. Carver

    Integrating multi-criteria evaluation with geographical information systems

    Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Syst.

    (1991)
  • A.M. Cornett

    A global wave energy resource assessment

  • G.J. Dalton

    Non-technical barriers to wave energy in Europe

  • Det Norske Veritas

    Guidelines on Design and Operation of Wave Energy Converters, Report Prepared for the Carbon Trust

    (2005)
  • G. Dudziak et al.

    Marine Energy Supply Chain Survey, Report Prepared for the Scottish Government – Marine Energy Group

    (2009)
  • Cited by (46)

    • Case studies of wave energy

      2023, Renewable Energy - Volume 2: Wave, Geothermal, and Bioenergy Definitions, Developments, Applications, Case Studies, and Modelling and Simulation
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text