An evaluation of the synergy between the wave and wind energy along the west Iberian nearshore

Abstract

There is a growing interest in extracting marine renewable energy and contributing in this way to the green road towards a low-carbon future. From this perspective, the Iberian nearshore represents a coastal environment with very high potential. In this context, the objective of the work proposed herewith is to perform a joint evaluation of the wave and wind power along the west Iberian coastal environment. The analysis is structured in two time intervals. The first is the 20-year period (2001–2020), for which the ERA5 wind data have been considered. The second 20-year period (2026–2045) corresponds to the near future and in this case, wind data provided by the climate model RCA4 (Rossby Centre regional atmospheric model, version 4) have been processed and analysed, corresponding to the climate scenario RCP4.5. (Representative Concentration Pathway). The same two periods have been considered for the evaluation of wave power. In this case simulations with spectral phase averaged model SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) have been performed. This wave modelling system was implemented for the entire North Atlantic basin and focused on the west Iberian coastal environment. Finally, the results also indicate that there is a good synergy between wind and wave power in the west Iberian nearshore. As a conclusion, the development of joint wind–wave projects along the west Iberian coastal environment represents a viable direction for the near future. Especially, the Northwestern part of the Iberian nearshore has a very good potential both in terms of wave and wind energy.

Keywords

• Iberian nearshore
• Wave power
• Offshore wind
• Joint evaluation
• Hybrid farms