A revised assessment of Australia's national wave energy resource

Australia is widely recognised as having an abundant wave energy resource which could contribute to the country's future energy mix. Prior assessments have provided general broad scale information on the resource magnitude, but detail needed to support next level site assessments has been defic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Renewable energy 2017-12, Vol.114, p.85-107
Main Authors: Hemer, Mark A., Zieger, Stefan, Durrant, Tom, O'Grady, Julian, Hoeke, Ron K., McInnes, Kathleen L., Rosebrock, Uwe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hindcast
Numerical wave models
Ocean renewable energy
Wave climate
Wave energy
Wave energy converters
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Summary:Australia is widely recognised as having an abundant wave energy resource which could contribute to the country's future energy mix. Prior assessments have provided general broad scale information on the resource magnitude, but detail needed to support next level site assessments has been deficient. Aiming to support all stakeholders in Australia's emerging wave energy industry, this study presents a revised assessment of Australia's national wave energy resource. The assessment is based on a state-of-the-art global wave hindcast, with higher resolution in the Australian region. Validation of the hindcast relative to in-situ wave buoy and satellite altimeter observations show better comparison than prior assessments. The total nationally available resource is similar in magnitude to earlier studies, but regional differences are evident. The total integrated energy flux across the 200 m contour is approximately 2730 TWh/yr, with estimates of resource along the north and eastern coasts being less than previously estimated. This revised pre-competitive resource information is delivered coincidently with marine management and alternative use (constraint layers), and energy infrastructure, spatial information via the open-access Australian Wave Energy Atlas (AWavEA), served through the Australian Renewable Energy Infrastructure (AREMI). The Atlas serves to reduce barriers to emergence of an Australian wave energy industry. •Revised estimates of Australia's wave energy resource specify altered spatial distribution.•Total integrated wave energy flux across 200 m contour is 2730 TWh/yr.•Resource information being served openly via web-based Australian Wave Energy Atlas.
ISSN:0960-1481
1879-0682
DOI:10.1016/j.renene.2016.08.039