PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The EU has set a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. The production of electricity and heating is responsible for the largest share of global manmade Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. By increasing the renewable energy share and by making it more efficient, a large part of GHG emissions can be avoided. Studies have indicated that close-to-shore wave energy has the potential to contribute 10% of the global electricity demand by 2050. This project will be the first demonstration of the innovative wave energy concept, NoviOcean.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the LIFE NOVIOCEAN project is to demonstrate a new, highly innovative concept for wave energy much more cost efficient than existing wave energy converters. It will construct a pilot unit to validate the wave energy converters (WEC) components and systems on an industrially-relevant scale.
The project directly supports priorities and strategies set out in the European Green Deal which states that decarbonising of the energy system is critical for reaching 2030 and 2050 climate objectives. It also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 7 – Affordable and clean energy. The project also supports inter alia the following EU legislation: the Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001/EU); the Energy Efficiency Directive (2018/2002/EU); the policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030 (COM/2017/15); the Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 (COM/2011/0112); and the 7th Environment Action Programme (2013/1386/EU).
RESULTS
Expected results:
- CO2 emission reduction of 602 tonnes/year and a production of renewable energy from the pilot unit of 750 MWh/year at the end of project;
- CO2 impact per unit of energy produced by a NoviOcean WEC of less than 17 grammes of CO2/kWh (compared to 1001 gr CO2/kWh for coal and 444 gr CO2/kWh for an average EU energy mix);
- OPEX costs reduced below €0.17m/unit/year, with potential of reaching €0.07m/unit/year by 2029 demonstrated; and
- The payback time for the early arrays shown to be less than eight years, with the potential to reduce this time to less than four years by 2029.
