Natural Power Announces Tidal Energy Resource Models for West Coast of Scotland

Natural Power’s marine renewables team have developed high resolution hydrodynamic tidal energy resource models for the west coast of Scotland.

The tidal potential of the Mull of Galloway, Mull of Kintyre, Kyle Rhea and the Rhinns of Islay have long been recognised by industry and public bodies as areas of high tidal energy potential. Situated away from the Pentland Firth, these locations have been the target of the recent Further Scottish Leasing Round carried out by The Crown Estate. The high resolution maps, which will be made publicly available, aim to refine the industry wide understanding of the potential resource.

This project has drawn on Natural Power’s global expertise in marine renewables resource assessment, utilising our in-house software routines and building on the industry standard MIKE toolsets.

The maps are based on a model simulation run covering a typical tidal cycle. The velocities have been analysed into five data values covering:

* Maximum velocity modelled during the period

* Root mean cubed velocity averaged over the water column

* Root mean cubed velocity scaled to 25% of the water column

* The % of time that velocities greater than 4 knots (approximately 2 m/s) were modelled

* An indication of the flow type running from linear to circular

Natural Power is releasing the maps of maximum velocity to complement the existing Regional Locational Guidance produced by Marine Scotland, and hopes that taken in combination they will assist both private developers and public bodies in accurately targeting resources. Natural Power’s Technical Director, Neil Douglas, commented : “Over the last five years we have been working worldwide to drive forward the marine renewable industry. In our capacity as technical experts we can help to pinpoint the locations of greatest promise, and with these maps we hope to move industry closer to imminent 2020 targets”.

(naturalpower)

[mappress]

Source: naturalpower, June 01, 2011