Preliminary appraisal of wave power prospects in Lebanon
Highlights
► Wave power potential off the coast of Beirut (Lebanon) is assessed. ► Wave activity is overlaid with power matrixes of 3 wave power converters. ► Altimeter satellite data of Hs is obtained for more representability of data. ► Wave power is not currently attractive, yet a revisit in 2020 is recommended.
Introduction
The world-wide potential of the wave power resource is estimated to be approximately 2 TW [1]. Nearer to shore, the European Thematic Network on Wave Energy puts the potential at 1.3 TW globally, with a technically exploitable resource of 100–800 TWh/year [2]. Broken down according to power range, the global technical resources are estimated to be 100–500 TWh/year for the power range of 20–30 kW/m and estimated at twice that potential for lower power regions of 10–20 kW/m [3]. However, the Eastern Mediterranean region is not known for its wave power resources like other regions, such as Western Europe and particularly the United Kingdom, where the most common power range for offshore waves are between 30 and 70 kW/m [1].
As such, wave energy has not been considered for Lebanon nor have any assessments been undertaken to shed light on its prospects. This paper serves as the first attempt to methodologically approach the issue of wave energy by quantifying the wave resources and consequent energy potential off Lebanon's coast. The potential of wave power in Lebanon is evaluated in the context of delivering the 12% renewable energy target by 2020 set by the Lebanese Council of Ministers in 2009 and reaffirmed in the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit and in the Ministry of Energy and Water's (MEW) Policy Paper [4].
This paper utilizes the only available data on wave parameters from one single buoy installed in 2003–2004 by the National Directorate for Meteorology in Lebanon in order to establish the potential of wave power from three selected offshore wave energy converters. The representability of the data, both in terms of spatial and temporal representability, is established through the use of altimeter data covering three locations off the Lebanese coast and an extended timeframe of 20 years.
Section snippets
The Lebanese electricity sector
Detailed information on the Lebanese electricity sector can be found in [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]. In summary, the sector is a publically owned monopoly with nominal installed power capacity of approximately 2312 MW, of which 2038 MW are thermal power plants and 274 MW are hydro. However, actual availability of thermal plants has varied from as low as 1500 MW (and sometimes lower) to a maximum of 2000 MW due to several shortcomings such as restoration requirements, plant failures, fuel supply
Wave energy resource characterization for Lebanon
The main properties of waves can be defined in terms of period, or the time (in seconds) taken for successive peaks (or troughs) to pass a given fixed point, height, or the difference between peaks and troughs, wave lengths, or the distance between successive peaks (or troughs) of waves, and direction [13]. Given the impossibility of measuring all the heights and periods independently, an averaging process is used to estimate the total power of waves that includes the calculation of
Wave energy converters
Wave energy converters (WECs) convert wave energy into electricity through a power take-off system that is usually a turbine driven by pressurized oil, air, or water [14]. Wave energy converters can be divided into different types of classifications. The European Marine Energy Center, for example, classifies wave energy converters into six classes; attenuators, point absorbers, oscillating water columns, oscillating wave surge converters, overtopping and terminator devices, and submerged
Representability of the buoy data
A major limitation in this paper is the lack of representative wave data for the wave climate off the shores of Lebanon. Only 1.5 years of hourly data off the coast of Beirut where obtained from the National Directorate for Meteorology in Lebanon. Due to the difficulties in maintaining buoys, the Directorate could not extend the life-service of the Beirut buoy and could not establish an effective monitoring regime to the North and South of the country by installing and carefully operating its
Discussion and future recommendations
The average yearly power off the Lebanese coast, as calculated through the buoy measurements of Hs and peak period over the 2002–2004 timeframe, and as made more representative of the Lebanese offshore wave environment through the altimeter data, is too low for economical wave energy generation. Even in oceans where wave potential is significantly better, the net present value of wave energy converters is negative under current market conditions [29], [36]. The reason for this is that wave
Conclusion
The present work is the first attempt to methodologically assess the wave power prospects off the coast of Lebanon. Although the eastern Mediterranean Sea is not known for its strong wave climate, the actual wave power implications have not been duly assessed. Working around the 1.5 years of buoy data as collected off the coast of Beirut by the National Directorate for Meteorology, measurements for the significant wave height and wave period were inputted to establish a joint frequency table
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Spanish Government for the grant that established the UNDP-CEDRO project, and all the partners in the Lebanon Recovery Fund through which the grant was transferred. The authors will like to thank the UNDP Energy and Environment Unit for their support of the CEDRO project. The authors would like to thank the Directorate for Meteorology at the Lebanese Rafic Hariri Airport for all the data shared to undergo this study.
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