Page 35 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2020 publication

Spring 2020 European Energy Innovation
over a thousand kilometres away in
Germany. The project is now ready
for the next stage: becoming part of a Ocean energy embodies what the
multi-device farm in the Bay
of Fundy, home to the world’s
largest tides.
An international endeavour, led
by European technology
developers. This is just one of
many examples of how ocean
energy is transforming Europe’s
blue economy and the global
energy sector.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
35
OCEAN ENERGY
A blue driver for the European
Green Deal
new European Green Deal sets
out to achieve. These innovative
technologies are both drivers of
sustainable economic growth and
an essential part of meeting Europe’s
climate objectives.
Harnessing Europe’s ocean
potential
It doesn’t take much imagination to
understand the power of the sea.
Looking out over the Atlantic, even on
a calm day, you can see the strength
of the swells and the force of the
breakers crashing to shore. Europe’s
seas and oceans are a natural
resource that is free, infinite and all knowledge of innovative technologies.
around us.
It is estimated that 100GW1 of wave
and tidal energy capacity can be
deployed in Europe by 2050, which
would meet around 10% of Europe’s
current electricity consumption.
Ocean energy: making a
decarbonised energy system
a reality
Europe must add new sources
of clean energy to keep up with
increasing electricity demand in the
coming decades. Wind and solar
power are here to stay as part of the
mainstream energy mix, but they
cannot go it alone. A decarbonised
power system needs diversity to
succeed.
The added value of ocean energy
is to ensure that power supply and
demand can be balanced on the
grid. Ocean energy produces power
at different times to other renewable
sources and is highly predictable
and reliable.
Ocean energy for a Just Transition
Ensuring a just and inclusive
transition towards low-carbon
and climate-resilient activities is a
cornerstone of the European Green
Deal. Developing ocean energy will
directly benefit the people and places
at the centre of Europe’s energy
transition.
Quality jobs for people from all
corners of Europe
The economic footprint of ocean
energy is potentially massive.
Installing 100GW of ocean energy
by 2050 will create an industry with
400,000 high-quality European jobs.
The skills needed to build, install and
maintain ocean energy devices are
also found in shipbuilding, fishing
and ports. For many workers, a new
ocean energy industry represents
an opportunity to directly transfer
their skills from traditional maritime
occupations, whilst gaining new
It isn’t only those living on the coast
who will benefit, as the extensive
supply chain stretches across Europe
and beyond. To give one example
among many: Finnish wave energy
developer’s WaveRoller is made up
of components made by workers in
Finland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey,
the UK and Canada.
Revitalising Europe’s coastal
regions with ocean energy
As well as skilled workers, most
of Europe’s coastal regions are
already home to port facilities and
maritime equipment. Repurposing
this infrastructure for the assembly
and deployment of tidal turbines and
wave energy converters will breathe
new life into the local area.
Alongside the newer ocean energy
developers, traditional maritime
companies are already diversifying
into offshore renewable energy.
Schottel Hydro, the turbine supplier
for the PLAT-I project, is a prime
example: its parent company has
a long tradition of building ship
propellers.
Keeping Europe’s lead in ocean
energy technology
The European Green Deal is aiming to
significantly increase the large-scale