Marine Renewable EnergyResearch Challenges and Opportunities for a new Energy Era in Europe

The Vision“By 2050 Europe could source up to 50% of its electricity needs from Marine Renewable Energy. This would have a profound impact on the European economy and European citizens. It would contribute to energy supply and security, reduce CO2 emissions and their impact on the oceans, improve the overall state of the environment, improve quality of life, create jobs in a range of innovative sectors and herald a new era of environmentally sustainable development.”

This Vision is achievable and the potential rewards are considerable. It will rely on political commitment, public support, the establishment of a European offshore energy grid and a supportive fiscal and planning regime. Crucially, it will also require sustained research to feed both innovation and concept demonstration, and to develop appropriate environmental monitoring protocols.

www.esf.org/marineboard

Marine Board Vision Document 2

October 2010

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Contributing Authors • AugustoBaratadaRocha,INEGI, Portugal• CibranCambaRey, Acciona Energia, Spain• MarcLeBoulluec(Chair), Ifremer, France• JohnDalen, Institute of Marine Research,

Norway• HenryJeffrey,Energy Research Council, UK• FinnGunnarNielsen, Statoil and University

of Bergen, Norway• GeoffreyO’Sullivan,Marine Institute, Ireland • NathalieRousseau,European Ocean Energy

Association• EoinSweeney,Sustainable Energy Ireland,

Ireland• JudithWolf,National Oceanography

Centre, UK

Series editor NiallMcDonough,Marine Board-ESF Editorial support MaudEvrard,Marine Board-ESF External reviewer JohnHuckerby,Aotearoa wave and tidal

energy association, New Zealand

Acronyms CO2:CarbonDioxide EC:EuropeanCommission EDF:ElectricitédeFrance EMEC:EuropeanMarineEnergyCenter ESF:EuropeanScienceFoundation EU: European Union EU-OEA: European Ocean Energy

Association EWEA:EuropeanWindEnergyAssociation MB:MarineBoard MRE:MarineRenewableEnergy OTEC: OceanThermalEnergyConversion R&D:ResearchandDevelopment UKERC:UnitedKingdomEnergyResearch

Centre. WEC:WorldEnergyCouncil

Units g: gramme m/s: metre per second t: tonnes Mt: Megatonne (106 tonne – 1 million tonnes) W: watt kW: kilowatt (103 watt) MW: Megawatt (106 watt) GW: Gigawatt (109 watt) TW: Terawatt (1012 watt)

This Marine Board Vision Document on Marine Renewable Energy:

•PresentsavisionforthedevelopmentofMarineRenewableEnergyinEurope(cover,page5);

•HighlightsthepotentialofMarineRenewableEnergyinEuropeandidentifiesthe challenges and opportunities associated with this new and innovative sector(page4);

• Identifiestheresearchneedstorealisethispotential(page6-11);and•AimstosecureMarineRenewableEnergyontheEuropeanmarineresearchagenda(page3).

TheworkwasinitiatedandfacilitatedbytheMarineBoard.TheMarineBoardprovidesapan-European platform for its member organisations to develop common priorities, to advance marine research and to bridge the gap between science and policy, in order to meet future marine science challenges and opportunities.

Frontcoverpagepictures–credit(fromtoptobottom):©CPower,©SeaGenerationLtd,©EMEC

TheEuropeanScienceFoundation(ESF)providesaplatformforitsMemberOrganisationstoadvancescienceandexplorenew directions for research at the European level. Established in1974asanindependentnon-governmentalorganisation,theESFcurrentlyserves79MemberOrganisationsacross30countries.

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High level recommendations Securing Marine Renewable Energy on the European marine research agenda

Marine Renewable Energy can be a significant contributor to energy needs in Europe. In the next decade, this will require: • ResearcheffortsinEuropetobeintensified

and better coordinated across relevant sec-tors, disciplines and regional, national and European programmes, with particular atten-tiontodevelopingcost-efficientenergypro-duction techno-logies and appropriateenvironmental monitoring protocols.

• MarineRenewableEnergyresearchtobespecificallyprioritisedforsupportandtar-getedfundinginFrameworkProgramme8(from2014)andfutureEuropeanJointPro-gramming activities.

• Improvedcoordinationbetween industryneeds and research efforts e.g. through the jointdevelopmentofaStrategicResearchAgendaforMarineRenewableEnergyandthedevelopmentofcollabora-tivenetworksof researchers and technology developers.

• Acomprehensive,consistentandintegratedassessmentofMarineRenewableEnergyresources(i.e.offshorewind,waveenergy,tidal range and current, ocean current, salin-ity gradient, thermal gradient and marine bio-

mass)inEurope;i.e.themappingofEurope’sMarineRenewableEnergyresources.

• Appropriateeducation,trainingandoutreachmechanismstoensurepublicandstakehold-ersupportandfocusedthird-leveltrainingopportunitiestoprovidetheskilledworkforcenecessarytoservicetheexpandingMarineRenewableEnergysector.

• Apro-active,visionaryandsupportiveEuro-peanpolicyonMarineRenewableEnergy.

• Agovernanceframeworkrelyingonsoundresearchandbasedon:– Thedevelopmentandconsolidationof

enablingpolicies(e.g.aEuropeanenergymarket);

– Thealignmentofpotentiallycompetingpolicyobjectives;

– Theprovisionof keysupporting infra-structures, including test and demonstra-tion sites and a European offshore energy gridinterconnector;and

– ThepositioningofMarineSpatialPlanningat the core of the sustainable development ofMarineRenewableEnergyinEurope.

“Europe must prepare the ground for a 100% renewable energy future, starting today. ... a 100% renewable energy supply system by 2050 ... is not a matter of technology, but rather a matter of making the right choices today to shape tomorrow.”

Prof.ArthourosZervos President,EuropeanRenewableEnergyCouncil,2010

Figure 1: Thefirstfull-scaleOyster1wave power device in operationoffOrkneycoastline,Scotland

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Marine Renewable Energy Definition

RenewableEnergyresourcesmaybecatego-rised in different ways as illustrated in Figure2. Simplyput,RenewableOceanEnergyisasubsetofMarineRenewableEnergywhichis,inturn,asubsetofRenewableEnergyasawhole.

MarineRenewableEnergyisdefined,forthepurposesofthisVisionDocument,asRenewableEnergyproductionwhichmakesuseofmarine

resources or marine space. In general terms, MarineRenewableEnergydevicesutilisemarinespace, share many converging technologies and energy management systems, are installed, op-erated, maintained and decommissioned at sea and need access to offshore grid and distribution systems. It is reasonable and indeed essential to address them collectively here.

For Marine Renewable Energy in Europe, the challenges are significant...

• RecognitionofMarineRenewableEnergyasa legitimate and desirable use of ocean space along with other sectors such as ship-ping,fishing,aquaculture,recreationandconservation.

• ThecontrolledexpansionofMarineRenew-ableEnergybasedonappropriateStrategicEnvironmentalAssessmentsandmanagedwithinthecontextofaMarineSpatialPlan-ningframework.

• Acomprehensiveresearchprogrammetoconsistently improve the technical and eco-nomicperformanceofMarineRenewableEnergydeviceswhilstalsotacklingpotentialenvironmental impacts.

• ThedevelopmentofaEuropeanenergymar-ket,aEuropeanenergygridandagreedin-ternationalstandardsandcertificationforMarineRenewableEnergysystems.

• Aproactive,supportiveandstablegovern-ance,financialandregulatorypolicytowardsMarineRenewableEnergy.

… but the rewards are high:

• Significantimprovementinenergysecurityand reduced dependence on energy import-ed from outside Europe.

• CreationofanewinternalandexportmarketforMarineRenewableEnergyproductsandservices.

• SignificantenvironmentalbenefitsincludingimprovedairqualityandreductioninCO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.

• Creationofneweconomicopportunitiesandemployment.

• Opportunities forEuropeanscienceandtechnology to be at the forefront of the de-sign, construction, operation, maintenance anddecommissioningofMarineRenewableEnergy devices.

Figure 2: RenewableEnergy resources and categories

Renewable Energy

•Onshorewind •Hydroenergy •Solarenergy •Geothermal •Bioenergy

Marine Renewable Energy

•Offshorewind •Marinebiomass (micro-and macro-algae)

Renewable Ocean Energy

•Wave •Tide(current andrange) •Oceancurrent •Osmoticgradient •Thermalgradient

“The EU currently imports approximately 55% of its energy – and might reach 70% in the next 20 to 30 years.”

EuropeanCommission–Eurostat(2009) &EuropeanCommission(2006)

Marine Renewable Energy Challenges and opportunities

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ent communicatioTransparent communicatio

Knowledge transferfor decision making

Marine Renewable Energy A Vision and a partnership

A striking Vision...

TheVisionaryStatement“By 2050 Europe could source up to 50% of its electricity needs from Marine Renewable Energy” is estimated on the basis of projections made by authoritative bod-ies,e.g.:• Offshorewindcouldmeetbetween12.8%

and16.7%oftotalEUelectricitydemandby2030(EWEA,2009);

• RenewableOceanEnergycouldmeet15%ofEUenergydemandby2050(EU-OEA,2010).

These projections were, in turn, based on as-sumptionsrelatedtoe.g.:• Globalfossilfuelprices;• Europeanmacroeconomicstate;• Europeanenergypolicyinitiatives(e.g.nu-

clearpolicy,renewablepolicy)andtargets;and

• Potentialadvancesinmarineenergyconver-sion technologies.

... for a coordinated approach:

The sustainable and successful development ofMarineRenewableEnergywillrelyonco-ordinated action from the research, industry and policy sectors. In this respect, the coming decade(2010-2020)willbecrucial.Theresearchagenda to deliver the proposed vision will both drive and be driven by policy and industry de-velopments as illustrated in Figure3.

Figure 3: The sustainable development ofMarineRenewableEnergy in Europe must be based on a partnership.

Other OCEANSPACE USERS

Job creationINDUSTRY

PUBLIC

Curricula, expertise,development

Researcher-developersnetworks

Knowledge transfer

for understanding

Mitigation

Regulation

n

Consultation Marine Spatial Planning

Market mechanisms

Potential synergies

Enabling energy Policy

Legislative incentives

Public ResearchFunding

Improved monitoringprotocols

Knowledge transferfor innovation

RESEARCH

POLICY

Environmental impactsRenewable energy production

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Marine Renewable Energy resources…

OFFSHORE WIND WAVE TIDE TIDAL and OCEAN CURRENTS

Definition Offshore wind is the movement of air above theseasandoceans,thekineticenergyofwhich can be harnessed by wind turbines (seeFigure4).

Wavesareformedbywindblowingoverwater and occurring in water near the sea surface. Kinetic and potential energy associated with ocean waves can be harnessed using modular technologies (seeFigure6).

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused bythegravitationalforcesexertedbythemoonand the sun. Tidal impoundment can generate electricitybyholdingbackthetide.Whenthereisasufficientheadofwater,theflowisallowedto pass through turbines.

Kineticenergypresentintidal(ocean)currents can be turned into electricity by using modular turbine systems, which canbeplaceddirectlyin-streamtogeneratepowerfromtheflowofwater(seeFigure10).

Definition

Resource Figure 4: Offshore winds are stronger and steadier than onland.StrongestoffshorewindlocationsareoffthecoastlinesofNorway,UKandIreland

Figure 6:PrimeEuropeanlocationsforwaveenergyareoffthecoastlinesofUK,Ireland,Norway,Portugal,SpainandFrance

Figure 8: In Europe, the highest tidal ranges can be found in theUKandFrance.

Figure 10: Hightidalstreamsareverysitespecific.

Resource

Electricity production

The projected electricity production from offshorewindby2030is563TWh per year (EWEA,2009).

The projected electricity production from waveenergyby2040is142TWh per year (EU-OEA).

Theworld’slargestoperationaltidalbarrage,LaRance,France,produces0.54TWh per year (EDF).TheplannedUKSevernBarragecouldproduce 17.1TWh per year(WEC,2001).

Tides, tidal and ocean currents could produce 36TWh per yearby2040(EU-OEA).

Electricity production

Energy converter

(example of)

Figure 5: Hywindbeingtowedtoitsanchoringsite offtheislandofKarmøy,Norway

Figure 7: WaveDragon-afloating,slack-mooredenergyconverteroffNissumBredning,Denmark

Figure 9:LaRancebarrage,France Figure 11: Installation of tidal turbine

Energy converter (example of)

Research priorities

Atpresent,thereisnodifferenceofapproachin the development of onshore and offshore windenergyexploitation.However,inthenearfuture, the technologies and the resource evaluation and installation methods will diverge inresponsetothedifferentrequirements for offshore and nearshore environments.

Future research must target inter alia:• Meetingthedesignneedstofacilitatethe

location of wind farms in deeper water and further offshore.

• Addressingcriticaltechnologychallenges,e.g. development of new substructures withreducedweight,possiblyfloatingandreducedmaintenancerequirements (seeFigure5).

• Investigatingtheinteractionbetweenwavesand(floatingormoored)structures,andtheoptimum positioning of wind turbines within an array.

To date more than one hundred wave energy concepts are being considered worldwide (EMEC),withmanystillattheR&Dstage.The technology will fully mature over time and will strive towards the development ofsystemswhichwillbeefficientinextremeconditions.

Future research must target inter alia:• Improvingcomputationaltoolsinorder

tobettertacklethelargemotionsandstronglynon-linearbehaviourofwaveenergy absorbers.

• Optimisingcontrolsystemsuponwhichwaveenergydevicesrelytoworkefficientlyinvariousseastates.

• Conductingwaveclimateforecasting(short-,medium-andlong-term).

• Improvingdeviceresponsestowavegrouping and multidirectionality.

Future research must target inter alia:• Investigatingthesustainabilityofmoving

beyond the strict geographical walls of tidal estuariesandbasins,forexample,artificialoffshore impoundment schemes could be builtontidalflatsinareaswithhightidalrange.

Aswithwaveenergy,thisisstillanemergingresourceoptionandnospecifictechnologieshaveyetemergedasthedefinitivewinners.Moreconversionconceptscanbeexpectedin future.

Future research must target inter alia:• Exploitinglowflows-presently

aminimumflowof2.5m/sisrequiredforeconomically viable energy generation.

• Understandingthenatureofthetotalflowenvironment and assessing the energy delivery potential of a particular site.

• Modellingwaterflowinchannels and headlands, and device response inthepresenceofwaterflow,usingcomputationalfluiddynamics.

• Designingnewturbinesforbothtidal and ocean currents.

Research priorities

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… with strong potential for Europe by 2020

OFFSHORE WIND WAVE TIDE TIDAL and OCEAN CURRENTS

Definition Offshore wind is the movement of air above theseasandoceans,thekineticenergyofwhich can be harnessed by wind turbines (seeFigure4).

Wavesareformedbywindblowingoverwater and occurring in water near the sea surface. Kinetic and potential energy associated with ocean waves can be harnessed using modular technologies (seeFigure6).

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused bythegravitationalforcesexertedbythemoonand the sun. Tidal impoundment can generate electricitybyholdingbackthetide.Whenthereisasufficientheadofwater,theflowisallowedto pass through turbines.

Kineticenergypresentintidal(ocean)currents can be turned into electricity by using modular turbine systems, which canbeplaceddirectlyin-streamtogeneratepowerfromtheflowofwater(seeFigure10).

Definition

Resource Figure 4: Offshore winds are stronger and steadier than onland.StrongestoffshorewindlocationsareoffthecoastlinesofNorway,UKandIreland

Figure 6:PrimeEuropeanlocationsforwaveenergyareoffthecoastlinesofUK,Ireland,Norway,Portugal,SpainandFrance

Figure 8: In Europe, the highest tidal ranges can be found in theUKandFrance.

Figure 10: Hightidalstreamsareverysitespecific.

Resource

Electricity production

The projected electricity production from offshorewindby2030is563TWh per year (EWEA,2009).

The projected electricity production from waveenergyby2040is142TWh per year (EU-OEA).

Theworld’slargestoperationaltidalbarrage,LaRance,France,produces0.54TWh per year (EDF).TheplannedUKSevernBarragecouldproduce 17.1TWh per year(WEC,2001).

Tides, tidal and ocean currents could produce 36TWh per yearby2040(EU-OEA).

Electricity production

Energy converter

(example of)

Figure 5: Hywindbeingtowedtoitsanchoringsite offtheislandofKarmøy,Norway

Figure 7: WaveDragon-afloating,slack-mooredenergyconverteroffNissumBredning,Denmark

Figure 9:LaRancebarrage,France Figure 11: Installation of tidal turbine

Energy converter (example of)

Research priorities

Atpresent,thereisnodifferenceofapproachin the development of onshore and offshore windenergyexploitation.However,inthenearfuture, the technologies and the resource evaluation and installation methods will diverge inresponsetothedifferentrequirements for offshore and nearshore environments.

Future research must target inter alia:• Meetingthedesignneedstofacilitatethe

location of wind farms in deeper water and further offshore.

• Addressingcriticaltechnologychallenges,e.g. development of new substructures withreducedweight,possiblyfloatingandreducedmaintenancerequirements (seeFigure5).

• Investigatingtheinteractionbetweenwavesand(floatingormoored)structures,andtheoptimum positioning of wind turbines within an array.

To date more than one hundred wave energy concepts are being considered worldwide (EMEC),withmanystillattheR&Dstage.The technology will fully mature over time and will strive towards the development ofsystemswhichwillbeefficientinextremeconditions.

Future research must target inter alia:• Improvingcomputationaltoolsinorder

tobettertacklethelargemotionsandstronglynon-linearbehaviourofwaveenergy absorbers.

• Optimisingcontrolsystemsuponwhichwaveenergydevicesrelytoworkefficientlyinvariousseastates.

• Conductingwaveclimateforecasting(short-,medium-andlong-term).

• Improvingdeviceresponsestowavegrouping and multidirectionality.

Future research must target inter alia:• Investigatingthesustainabilityofmoving

beyond the strict geographical walls of tidal estuariesandbasins,forexample,artificialoffshore impoundment schemes could be builtontidalflatsinareaswithhightidalrange.

Aswithwaveenergy,thisisstillanemergingresourceoptionandnospecifictechnologieshaveyetemergedasthedefinitivewinners.Moreconversionconceptscanbeexpectedin future.

Future research must target inter alia:• Exploitinglowflows-presently

aminimumflowof2.5m/sisrequiredforeconomically viable energy generation.

• Understandingthenatureofthetotalflowenvironment and assessing the energy delivery potential of a particular site.

• Modellingwaterflowinchannels and headlands, and device response inthepresenceofwaterflow,usingcomputationalfluiddynamics.

• Designingnewturbinesforbothtidal and ocean currents.

Research priorities

One kilowatt-hour (kWh): • isconsumedinsixhoursbythe

average EU citizen (equivalent to 1,460kWh per year);

• createsaround420gofCO2 (with the current EU electricity mix);

• isproducedbyabigwindpowerplant in one second during a strong breeze.

EuropeanCommission(2010)

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Other Marine Renewable Energy resources

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OSMOTIC GRADIENT THERMAL GRADIENT MARINE BIOMASS

Definition Osmotic pressure builds up whentwoaqueoussolutionsareseparatedbyasemi-permeable membrane. The water with low salt concentration moves to the side with the higher salt concentration. Thus creating a pressure differential which can be used to drive a turbine.

Thermalenergy(basedon the temperature gradient between the sea surface and deepwater)canbeharnessedusing different Ocean Thermal EnergyConversion(OTEC)processes.

MarineBiomass,inthecontextofMarineRenewableEnergy, refers to the use of micro-and/ormacro-algaefor biofuel production.

Technology European researchers havebeenexploringnovelapproachestoexploitsalinity gradients for energy production. The main challenges relate to membrane design. (seeFigure12).

Mostofthetechnologydevelopments remain at the planning/feasibility study stage, since the capital cost ofinstallationisextremelyhigh. The main research and development challenges relate to the design of heat exchangerandunderwatertubes.

Genomicsandeco-physiologyaswellasthecontrolofkey parameters(e.g.temperature,irradiance,pH,andnutri-ments)arekeytotheproduc-tionofbiodieselfrommicro- algae. Intensive production with photo-bioreactorsismoreexpensivebutallowsformorecontrol.1

Resource Giventhesignificantamountsof freshwater entering the sea from European rivers, the osmotic gradient could support the production of 28TWh per yearby2040(EU-OEA).

The global technical resource exploitablewithtoday’stechnology is estimated to beintheorderof33,000TWhperyear(IsaacsandSchmitt,1980).Europeanoverseasterritories located close to the Equator(e.g.Guadeloupe,NewCaledonia,FrenchPolynesia)haveaccesstosuch resources.

Micro-algaespeciesnumberbetween 200,000 and several millions with a huge research and industrial potential and may be used in the production of biofuel.

1.SeealsoMarine Board Position Paper 15 (2010). Marine Biotechnology: A New Vision and Strategy for Europe.

“Renewable Ocean Energy could avoid the emission of 136Mt of CO2 per year by 2050.”

EuropeanOceanEnergyAssociation(EU-OEA,2010)

Figure 12: Membranesroll made from polymer

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Environmental challenges and opportunities Understanding and monitoring the environmental impacts of Marine Renewable Energy

BecauseMarineRenewableEnergyisinitsin-fancy,thereislimiteddataorknowledgeonthemedium-andlong-termenvironmentalimpactsofMarineRenewableEnergydevices.Studieshavebeenconductedtoidentifykeyenviron-

mentalfactorsandpotential(cumulative)impactswhich will need to be investigated and monitored during the installation and lifetime of commercial devices(seeTable 1).

Environmental factor Potential impacts

Watercirculationpatterns

Alterationofwatercirculationandsedimenttransport patterns

Benthichabitats Physicalandbiologicaldisturbance oftheseabed,floraandfauna

Artificialreefeffect Effect of solid structures on the seabed as enhancers of biomass around the area

Waterquality Effects of biofouling removal operations or the use of antifoulants

Sounddisturbance Behaviouralresponsesofmarineanimals to underwater sound from energy devices

Electromagneticfields Impacts on different ecological groups andatdifferentlife-cyclestages

Avoidancebehaviour Dynamics of avoidance and collision of marine animals with devices at sea

Lightdisturbance Biologicalsignificanceofbehaviouralresponsestoflashinglightfromrotorblades

Table 1: Some potential environmental impactsofMarineRenewableEnergydevices–Adaptedfrom:Uncertainties regarding environmen-tal impacts [of wave and tidal energy devices]. A Draft. (Equimar-FP7-213380,2009)

Future research efforts must target inter alia:• Definingnationalandinternationalenviron-

mentalprotocolsandguidelines(e.g.Strate-g ic Env i ronmenta l Assessments ,EnvironmentalImpactAssessments)incol-laborationwithpublicauthoritiesandstake-holders in order to assist both developers and regulators in the design and approval of licensingandenvironmen-talmonitoringframeworks.

• Developingabetterunderstandingofenvi-ronmental impacts and responses to com-

mercial-scaleinstallationsandpredictingthecumulative environmental interactions of scaling-uptolargeoffshoredevicearrays.

• Developingnewcost-effectiveenvironmentalmonitoringdevices(e.g.birddetectionradar)to be embedded in the automatic monitoring of devices, especially for remote offshore installations.

• Developingmitigationmeasuresbothspe-cifictoidentifiedenvironmentalimpacts,andto each device type in line with technological and design evolution.

• Turningtheenvironmentalfactorintoacom-petitive advantage through the development ofnewmarketabletechnologiesandproc-esses for impact monitoring and mitigation.

• Contributingtothedevelopmentofstandardsand testing protocols, and strengthening the role of testing centres in Europe as centres forpracticalR&Drelatedtobothtechnologydevelopment, and environmental monitoring and measurement.

Figure 13:MonitoringcatchatNystedoffshorewindfarm,Denmark

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Technology and innovationMaking Marine Renewable Energy sustainable and mainstream

Public perception Public knowledge and support for Marine Renewable Energy

Deployment and infrastructure challenges face theemergingMarineRenewableEnergysector;theycanbeclassifiedintermsofpredictability,manufacturability, survivability, installability, af-fordability,andreliability(UKERC).Technologydevelopmentswillneedtofocuson:• Optimisingdevicedesigntoachievelow-cost

energy production, to minimise maintenance andtomaximiselife-span;

• Transformingenergyfromdevicestousableelectricitylinkedtonationalgrids;

• Measuring,monitoringandmitigatingenvi-ronmental impacts.

In partnership with the industry, future re-search efforts must target inter alia: • Improvingresourcepredictionsforplanning

purposesandalsoforoperationalefficiency(i.e.balancingpowerproductionandcon-sumption),assessmentofmarineenergyresources, and providing open access data-basesandreal-timeinformationonoceanclimate and related environmental parame-ters.

• Designinganddeveloping:– Innovativerobustdeviceconstructionma-

terials;– Largescale(arraysof)devicesefficiently

installed,operatedanddecommissioned;– Wind-waveandwind-tidalcurrenthybrid

systems,bringingadded-valuetooffshorewind projects, combining installation and maintenance costs and sharing grid con-nection;

–Vessels(e.g.withdynamicpositioningsys-tems,improvedsea-keepingandmanoeu-vrability)foroperationsthroughoutdevicelife-cycles,andthepotentialforconstruc-tionanduseofartificialoffshoreharbours(seeFigure16).

• Improvingenergymanagementandstoragedevices(e.g.batteries).

• Contributingtotheestablishmentofaninte-grated European transnational offshore grid (includingsmartmetering)supportinginter-mittent power supply.

Localcommunities,thegeneralpublicandotherstakeholdersmustbeengagedindiscussionsand communication prior to commercial deploymentsoftheMarineRenewableEnergydevices. In this way the opportunities, constraints andriskspresentedbyMarineRenewableEnergycanbecommunicatedandallstakeholderscaninput the process.

Future research efforts must target inter alia:• Investigatingthesocialimpactsofexpanding

MarineRenewableEnergy(e.g.effectofthedevicesontheseascapevalue).

• Developingstandardsfortheharmonisationofregulations,safety,testing,certification,education and training.

Figure 14: The Oyster hydro-electricwaveenergy converter is a buoyant, hinged flapdesignedtobeattached to the seabed andtoswaybackwardsand forwards in near-shore waves.

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Job creation and training Delivering sustainable jobs for a smart European economy

Marine Spatial Planning Positioning energy as a legitimate use of the ocean space within coordinated planning frameworks

The manufacture, transportation, installation, operation and eventual decommissioning of MarineRenewableEnergydeviceswillgenerateemployment, particularly in coastal communities, many of which are in remote, low employment areasorexperiencingadeclineoftraditionalactivities(e.g.fishing,shipbuilding).ThiswillmeettherequirementsforsmartsustainableandinclusivegrowthsetoutintheEurope2020-Astrategyforsmart,sustainableandinclusivegrowth(COM(2010)2020).

ThedevelopmentofaEuropeanMarineRenew-able Energy sector will compete for space with otherlegitimateusesoftheseaincludingfisher-ies,aquaculture,maritimetransport,recreationand conservation. To minimise and manage po-tentialconflicts,comprehensiveMarineSpatialPlanningframeworksmustbeestablished.Theindependent management of marine space, with fair allocation of resources and transparent par-ticipatory procedures for assessment, planning, licensing and monitoring structures, is crucial for the sustainable development of the sector.

Future research efforts must target inter alia:• Assessingsocio-economicimpactsconcern-

ing competition for space and resources.• Facilitating theuseofmulti-purposeoff-

shore platforms for Marine Renewable

Projectionssuggestthat:• By2050,theRenewableOceanEnergysec-

torcouldprovide470,000jobs,whichcor-respondsto10to12jobs(directandindirect)createdpermegawattinstalled(EU-OEA,2010).

• By2030,employmentintheoffshorewindsectorcouldprovide226,000jobs,60%ofthetotalemploymentinwindenergy(EWEA,2009).

Future research and education efforts must target inter alia:• Developingnewareasofexpertiseinengi-

neering, construction, navigation, ecology, and marine environmental monitoring in or-dertosupplytheMarineRenewableEnergysectorandancillarybusinesseswithskilledworkersandspecialists.

Energy generation and a range of other po-tentialusesincludingaquaculture,marineenvironmental monitoring, coastal defence androadcrossings(barrages).

Figure 16: Visionary concept of an offshore energy harbour

Figure 15:Workingonboard an offshore windmill

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