Wave energy converters technology database for a web-based platform for evaluating wave energy resource and productivity potential

Wave energy is gaining increasing attention in worldwide energy planning strategies as key enabling factor for reaching the ambitious carbon neutrality targets. Therefore, a seamless access to the energy resource is needed, as well as the productivity of various wave energy converters, to probe the potential of installing farms in a given location. This paper presents and uses the novel web-based MORE-EST Platform (Marine Offshore Renewable Energy – Energy Security Transition), which aggregates information for wave resource assessment, bathymetry and marine space use. This work includes the mathematical modelling of the underlying technology database: 1) an Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter, to discuss the importance of including directionality in productivity assessment; 2) a Heaving Point Absorber and its techno-economic optimisation, comparing various proxies for capital expenditures. Results demonstrate that: 1) neglecting directionality may lead to errors in the productivity estimation, up to 31% in a site with a narrow wave rose, and up to 46% in a site with a widespread wave rose; 2) different optimisation objectives lead to dramatically different devices.