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SW England testbed opportunities for marine renewable energy & offshore engineering. Prof Martin J Attrill Director, Plymouth University Marine Institute mattrill@plymouth.ac.uk @ mjattrill. SW England as a centre for UK’s renewable industry.
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SW England testbedopportunities for marine renewable energy & offshore engineering Prof Martin J Attrill Director, Plymouth University Marine Institute mattrill@plymouth.ac.uk @mjattrill
SW England as a centre for UK’s renewable industry Only region with all renewable energy resources close to major ports & infrastructure Solar Wind Wave Tidal
South West Marine Energy Park (SWMEP) • The South West is the first region in the UK to be designated as a marine energy park (Jan 2012) • a collaborative partnership between local and national government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, technology developers, academia and industry. • a physical and geographic zone with priority focus for marine technology development, energy generation projects and industry growth.
South West Marine Energy Park Testbed Opportunities • COAST laboratory (Plymouth University) • FaBTest (Exeter University/Falmouth Port) • Wave Hub (EU/UK/regional government investment) • PRIMaRE (Plymouth & Exeter Universities)
Coastal Ocean and Sediment Transport Laboratory (COAST) • £19m development within Plymouth University’s Marine Building • Ocean Basin (35x15.5x3m) • 24 independently controlled wave generators & 2-directional current • Suite of s-o-t-a instrumentation • Most advanced ocean modelling facility in UK • Coastal Basin (15.5x10x0.5m) • Waves & currents onto a beach • Option for use with sediment • Sediment Wave Flumes • 3 flumes, wave and current, with or without sediment • Largest: 35x0.6x0.8m
Coastal Ocean and Sediment Transport Laboratory (COAST) • Video to be shown here
Falmouth Bay Testing Site (FabTest) • The Falmouth Bay Test site (FaBTest) is a 2.8km2 area dedicated to the testing of marine energy converters (MECs) • Prevailing high energy westerly swells but in lee of the Lizard Peninsula – relative shelter for device/ prototype survivability testing • Testing of wave energy technologies, components, moorings and deployment procedures • Data collection - developers gain understanding of any MEC noise impacts and energy conversion (if relevant) throughout FaBTest deployment (monthly HSE reporting)
The Wave Hub • £42 million scheme creating world’s first grid-connected, offshore wave-energy testing facility • It consists of an electrical hub on the seabed 16 kilometres off the north coast of Cornwall in South West England to which wave energy devices can be connected. • The 12-tonne hub is linked to the UK’s grid network via a 25km, 1300 tonne subsea cable operating at 11kV. • 8 km2 licenced area supporting 4 companies’ devices & arrays (20 MW capacity) • Also suitable for tidal devices and floating wind
Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) • A co-operative research collaboration (2007) between the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth – now extending region-wide • Providing world-class academic support and facilities for industry and governments • Resource characterisation and Marine operations (WICI) • Safe and economic operations and marine risk mitigation • Environmental impact • Underwater and surface electrical systems • Socio-Economic factors • SW has ability to support industry from concept to commercial deployment