Viability for wave energy generation requires two-three metre waves during ¼ of year

A 1:10 7-metre scale model of an energy wave converter has been launched by Dexawave Energy Malta, and, together with wave data collecting instruments located off Gozo, will test the viability of harnessing wave energy in the Mediterranean waters.

A full energy wave converter is 60 metres long and 20 metres wide, and weighs approximately 700 tonnes. Between 20 and 26 such converters would be constructed and deployed, should wave energy generation be found viable.

Speaking to the media, Dexawave Denmark Director Lars Elbaek said the project’s viability requires two to three high metre waves during at least 2,000 hours out of every year.

A year has 8,760 hours, meaning that the two to three high metre waves would be required during roughly one fourth of every year.

Elbaek said that should theses conditions not be found, “then [the project] is probably not worth it.”

Asked about when the testing will deliver results, Elbaek said that while conclusive results would require a full year to be gathered and concluded, “we will have a good idea by the end of the year (2011).”

Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said the project, if found viable, will yield roughly five megawatts per every wave energy converter constructed and deployed.

Each unit will generate a total of 250 kilo-watts of energy, and if all 26 are deployed, will together generate around five megawatts.

He said that the proposed wind farm at Sikka l-Bajda alone would generate between 90 to 100 megawatts.

“One might say that 5 mw is just a little. One has to understand that when you speak about  renewable energy, it’s a question of having multiples of a small number,” he said.

“If Dexawave eventually manages to achieve a generation of 5 MW, then that would make it feasible to have other systems,” Pullicino said.

“Lets keep our fingers crossed,” he said, adding how wave conditions in the Mediterranean are very different from those one would find in the North Atlantic, were Dexawave tested bigger converters for several months.  

“We are testing the Mediterranean waters through this system,” Pullicino said. He also emphasised Malta’s viability as a Mediterranean research centre with regards to renewable energy, “especially with regards to marine renewable energy.”

He noted Malta’s limited land space availability: “We are carrying out studies with regards to two land-based wind farms, but obviously one ha to understand that such facilities are always close to some community, and obviously we don’t have the land size of mainland Europe in order o have enough space to have big wind farms on land.”

We neither do have the landside for solar farms, he added.

“We definitely believe that if technologies develop in order to foster renewable energy from marine related sources, we definitely have the sea area in order to create such renewable energies,” Pullicino said.

MaltaToday also asked Dexawave Denmark Director Lars Elbaek about what feed-in tariffs it expected from the Maltese government. i.e. the rate at which the Maltese government would buy the renewable energy from the Nordic company should the project prove viable and profitable.

“One of the biggest challenges in the sustainable energy sector is that we need the right business conditions at least in the beginning. The feed in tariffs is very important,” he said.

“That is a political issue, not a business issue because it is the Malta Resources Authority Malta that decides the price level that we get for the energy,” he said, adding that wind farm sector was given an added push by “extremely high” feed-in tariffs that the sector enjoyed in Italy.

Asked if there were discussions regarding Malta’s feed-in tariffs so far, Elbaek said that while there were no discussions so far, “there were indications that seem to be really fair. We strongly believe that when we come up with our business plan for our project, it will be possible to negotiate the right level of feed-in tariff.”

Asked about the government’s position on the feed-in tariffs, Pullicino said that it would proceed on a “case by case” basis, adding that it is as yet early to determine an approach given how it has not proven itself viable yet.

He said that a feed-in tariff would be eventually arrived at after the company submits its business plan with its cost and the volume of energy it will be generating.

“The MRA will determine a feed-in tariff that would be fitting for the company but also cannot be so high as to be detrimental to the Maltese consumer,” he said.