Identification of optimal sites for the deployment of wave energy converters: the importance of a technology-centred approach

Driven by climate issues and geopolitical uncertainties, Europe faces the need to transform its energy supply dramatically and quickly. Various renewable technologies are proposed as a medium- to long-term solution for an environmentally and economically sustainable energy mix: among the available solutions, wave energy converters (WECs) are attracting growing interest due to the large untapped wave energy potential in European seas. In this context, the choice of optimal locations for the use of wave energy is fundamental to limit the technological gap with other fully developed conversion technologies, and to ensure competitive energy costs. In this paper, we compare different possible strategies to identify suitable sites for the installation of WECs, namely that based on pure analysis of the wave energy resource, and that considering the productivity of the device in different sea states, i.e., its power matrix, the associated working hours, and the capture width ratio. Using the performance matrices of a notional WEC, an oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC), we estimate optimal locations on the Italian coast, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each different approach. The analysis, which can be extended to other WECs, demonstrates the importance of a technologybased approach for the spatial planning of future wave power plants. We use the obtained results to introduce some advancements in the MORE-EST platform, a recently released web-based tool for straightforward estimation of wave resources and WEC productivity in European seas. The proposed platform is able to integrate information on wave resource assessment, bathymetry, marine space use, and technological features, representing a tool aimed at researchers, WEC developers, and policy makers.