Questions & Answers
Below are some frequently-asked questions about Wave Hub.
Click on the question to jump to the answers, or scroll down the
list.
Why the interest in UK marine renewable energy?
The UK has some of the largest wave and tidal energy resources
in Europe. Allowing for technical, practical and
environmental limitations, wave energy alone could generate up to
one-sixth of the UK’s electricity consumption. By 2020 the
wave energy market in the UK could be worth £0.2 billion.
The UK Government is committed to increasing the amount of
electricity generated by renewable energy sources to 10% by 2010
and 15% by 2015, with an aspiration to reach 20% by 2020.
This will help to address increasingly important energy and
environmental issues including the security of energy supplies,
climate change, resource depletion and environmental pollution.
What is the South West RDA doing about renewable energy?
The South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) has identified
the opportunity for the region to become a leader in renewable
energy. The South West RDA has identified:
- Marine energy (wave and tidal)
- Biomass
- Offshore wind and
- Microgeneration
as having the greatest potential for the regional economy, and
is supporting demonstrator projects in these technologies.
In addition, the RDA has signed up to the Renewable Energy
Strategy for the South West, which identifies three key areas where
focus is required:
- Developing renewable energy on the ground
- Developing skills and awareness
- Building the South West’s renewable energy industry.
Why is the South West developing the Wave Hub?
The South West wants to take a prominent position in marine
renewable energy. The region has the potential to generate
substantial amounts of electricity from its wave and tidal stream
resources, and has the skills and facilities to support development
of the industry. The South West RDA recognises the potential
of the marine energy industry for the region and has decided to
support demonstration projects in this sector.
What is the Wave Hub?
The Wave Hub concept is to build an electrical grid connection
point approximately 16km (10 nautical miles) offshore into which
wave energy devices will be connected. It will provide a well
defined and monitored site with electrical connection to the
onshore electricity grid and will greatly simplify and shorten the
legal consents process for developers. Wave Hub would reduce
the risk for developers of the first pre-commercial wave machine
arrays.
How will Wave Hub be constructed?
A number of engineering options have been considered, based on
what is technically sound and achievable, has minimum environmental
impact, is cost-effective and does not present significant safety
and operational issues.
The intention is to create a “wet hub” on the seabed, linked to
the mainland by a subsea cable. The Hub will consist of a
cable distribution unit connected to arrays of wave energy devices
floating on or just below the surface. All the underwater
equipment is known technology and has been proven in the oil and
gas industry.
Which wave energy devices will be connected to the Wave
Hub?
An example of a wave energy conversion device is shown
here. These devices capture energy from the waves and use it
to drive electricity generators. The electricity is exported
to the shore and into the electricity grid via a subsea cable.
There are many wave energy devices currently being developed by
industrial and engineering companies in the UK and abroad. It
is generally accepted that the UK has a lead in the development of
these technologies but others are catching up fast.
Where will the Wave Hub be sited?
The best area for wave energy is close to the electricity grid
off the north coast of Cornwall. Critical constraints are the
wave climate, grid connection and sea areas excluded by a variety
of other established users. Taking into account water depth,
seabed condition, shipping lanes, and following consultation with
the fishing industry, the selected site for the Wave Hub is about
16km off the coast, North-East of St Ives. The area of sea
occupied by the devices will measure 4,000m by 2,000m. This
area may also have a beneficial effect as a nursery ground for fish
stocks.
What are the potential benefits?
The construction of the Wave Hub would have a variety of direct
and indirect benefits:
- Recognition of the South West region as a leader in the field
of wave power electricity generation
- Build on the work already carried out by NaREC, EMEC, the
Carbon Trust and DECC to establish the UK as the world leader in
marine energy
- Wave Hub will provide developers with the next step towards
commercial application of devices and enable future financing of
commercial projects.
- Provide a resource in support of education and training in
renewable energy technologies in the South West
- Be a catalyst for the creation of an entire new industry
building on the South West’s traditional strength of maritime and
engineering expertise. Jobs could be created through the
manufacturing, deploying, maintaining and repairing the potentially
wide range of devices
- The production of a significant amount of clean renewable
energy in the South West, to meet regional targets.
What are the potential environmental impacts?
An environmental impact assessment has been carried out.
This involved an analysis of the potential impacts of the project
on different parts of the environment. This includes the
effects of laying the cable (most of which will be offshore) and
the impacts of the likely arrays of wave energy devices on marine
ecology, fisheries, recreational users and navigation. There
will be very little terrestrial land-take, with only one cable
coming ashore, terminating near the site of a disused power
station. These reports can be downloaded from the Documents
[link] page.
