Investing in our common future

Co-financed with the support of the European Union ERDF – Atlantic Area Programme

MAREN“Optimising the energy extraction potential of the

marine resource whilst minimising the negative

hydro-environmental impact”

Bettina Bockelmann-EvansHydro-environmental Research Centre, Cardiff University

Severn Estuary Forum 2011

Friday 23rd September

MAREN Aims

• INTERREG project: Support economical

growth

• Close Stakeholder involvement: Associate

partners and development of a

Stakeholder Forum

• Bring European Perspective of Marine

Renewable Energy into Wales

MAREN Partners

Cardiff- Tidal Barrage & Impoundments: Dr Bettina

Bockelmann – Evans, Prof Roger Falconer, Dr Reza

Ahmadian , Ellie La Trobe-Bateman

National University of Ireland, Galway – Tidal Stream

IHC - University of Cantabria, Spain - Offshore Wind

Centec, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Portugal – Wave

Ifremer, France – La Rance Barrage

Other partners – Policy makers, private & public

sectors

MAREN Outputs

1. Country Modelling Case Studies

• High resolution modelling and mapping of the resource potential

• Assessment of marine renewable energy device performance

• Assessment of the Environmental Impact

• Future climate change scenarios – for resource, impacts and design

requirements

• Carbon emission life-cycle analysis

2. Comparative analysis of EIA and SEA protocol across the Atlantic

corridor

3. Database of ongoing and planned Marine Renewable Energy

projects/devices world-wide

UK Case StudiesRE Type Location Study Type

Wave Cornwall Energy Potential

Severn Estuary

Pembrokeshire (St

Annes Head to

Ramsey Sound)

Tidal

Stream

Severn Estuary Energy Potential

?Ramsey Sound

Tidal

Barrage

Severn Estuary-

Cardiff Western

Barrage

Energy Potential

Environmental

Impact

Fleming Lagoon

Llanelli- Loughor

barrage

RE Type Location Study Type

Tidal

Impoundment

Rhyl, N. Wales Energy Potential

Environmental

Impact

?Bridgewater Energy Potential

?Swansea Energy Potential

Environmental

Impact

Offshore

Wind

?Severn

Estuary

Energy Potential

Atlantic Area Climate Change

Impact on design

Modelling at the HRC• Modelling of the Severn Barrage including potential hydro-

environmental and ecological impacts of the Cardiff-Weston Barrage

under different generation modes and climate change.

• Modelling tidal lagoons including the impacts on the hydrodynamics,

sediment transport , water quality, the environment and coastal

flooding.

• Hydro-environmental modelling of arrays of stream turbines including

potential hydro-environmental impacts of various shapes of arrays

and potential generated power.

What else could be done...• energy assessment / sediment transport / flood risk / water quality /

pathogens / site identification / etc

Severn Estuary Hydraulic Model

Severn Barrage - Grid Configuration

Inner Barrage

Cardiff

Frame 001 16 Apr 2008 Initial bathymetry

Suspended Sediment Levels

Mean Flood

Without Barrage With Barrage

Mean Flood - Spring Tide

Reduced sediment

levels & clearer water

2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6

2 m/s

Water level (m)

Flood

Frame 001 01 Sep 2008 Hydrodynamic Results in Nodes

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

2 m/s

Water level (m)

Ebb

Frame 001 01 Sep 2008 Hydrodynamic Results in Nodes

Velocity Field Around Lagoon

(a) During Filling Mode (b) During Generating Mode

With Turbines Without Turbines

Modelling Stream Turbines

Thank You

www.marenproject.eu

Bockelmann-Evans@cf.ac.uk

Investing in our common future

Co-financed with the support of the European Union ERDF – Atlantic Area Programme

Wales Marine Energy Task

Group

Marine Energy Pembrokeshire

Working Group

Marine Energy Severn

Working Group

Marine Energy Swansea

Working Group

Marine Energy N. Wales

Working Group

A CONCEPT for how Wales can join up all Marine Renewable Energy

Projects, Groups and Stakeholders to create a joined up coherent strategy,

maximising efficiency and enabling Wales to optimise its marine renewable

energy source, minimising the negative environmental impacts.

Task Group runs an

annual event like that

which MEP currently

runs – but for all

Wales – it nearly does

this already)

Working Groups are

responsibility for

enabling local action

and projects in

specific areas to

happen

Made up of all

stakeholders from all

sectors – Research,

Industry, Ports, EA,

NGOs, Government,

Private Businesses

etc

Made locally relevant

stakeholders who

enable a project to go

ahead from all sectors

– Research, Industry,

Ports, EA, NGOs,

Government, Private

Businesses etc