BLUE ENERGY, RENEWABLES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN

WORKSHOP “INCORPORATING THE OCEAN IN NDCS”

6TH MAY 2019 – SUVA – FIJI ISLANDS

ADRIEN LAURANCEAU-MOINEAU

GEOSCIENCE ENERGY AND MARITIME DIVISION

PACIFIC COMMUNITY (SPC)

PACIFIC OCEAN : 46% of Ocean surface

PACIFIC OCEAN : 1 % of Blue Energy

BLUE ENERGY – REVIEW OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES

Tidal Energy Wave Energy

Ocean Current Ocean Thermal

TIDAL ENERGY AND OCEAN CURRENT

➢ A highly predictable clean energy source

• Tidal currents are caused by the gravitational forces of the

sun and the moon, and accelerated near constrictions such

as islands or inlets. Not weather dependent !

➢ Water is 800 times denser than air

• Tidal devices capture more energy than their wind

counterpart for the same wind / current speed

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ? Tidal Energy

• Lack of in-countries data collection for potential site mapping (current meter deployment)

• Minimum ocean current speed requirement : 2m/s (6 Knots)

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ? Ocean Current

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ? Tonga Fangauta Lagoon

Case study

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ? Tonga Fangauta Lagoon Case study

Mean current speed : 0.2 m/s

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSTION (OTEC)

• OTEC exploits the difference between deep cold

seawater and warmer surface seawater to

produce energy.

• Technologies target around a 20°C or more

temperature differential between cold and warm

water.

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSTION (OTEC)

OCEAN THERMAL – COOLING SYSTEM

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ?

CASE STUDY : KIRIBATI – TARAWA

• Data Collection done by SPC in 2015 for KRISO (Korean Research institute) – 1MW OTEC

WAVE ENERGY

➢The world's largest untapped source of energy

➢Wave energy technologies capture the movement of

ocean and sea waves and use it to create energy –

usually electricity. The energy created depends on the

speed, height and frequency of the wave

COMPLETE PRE FEASIBILITY STUDY DONE BY SPC IN 2015

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ?

THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LOCATIONS FOUND:

33 SITES IN 12 COUNTRIES THAT CORRESPOND TO THE CRITERIA (POPULATION ABOVE 1,000 INHABITANTS, MEAN WAVE POWER ABOVE 7 KW/M AND ELECTRICALGRID CONNECTION).

MEAN ANNUAL ENERGY FLUX:

- PALAU (KOROR) 2 KW/M

- MARSHALL ISLAND (MAJURO)10 KW/M

- FIJI ISLANDS (CORAL COAST)20 KW/M

- COOK ISLANDS (RAROTONGA)50 KW/M

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ?

AND FOR THE PACIFIC ? Cost comparison (based on

Pelamis device)

BLUE OCEAN – CHALLENGES : TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVELS (TRL)

BLUE OCEAN – A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PACIFIC ISLANDS CHALLENGE : LACK OF LAND SPACE !

Betio – Tarawa (Kiribati)

Majuro (RMI)

BLUE OCEAN : OTHER ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS • Offshore wind

• PACIFIC CHALLENGE :

✓ Bathymetry, inner lagoon location?

✓ Cyclone

BLUE OCEAN : OTHER ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS • Offshore wind

BLUE OCEAN : OTHER ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS • Floating Solar

POTENTIAL SITE : TUVALU - FONGAFALE

BLUE ENERGY, RENEWABLES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN

WORKSHOP “INCORPORATING THE OCEAN IN NDCS”

6TH MAY 2019 – SUVA – FIJI ISLANDS

ADRIEN LAURANCEAU-MOINEAU

GEOSCIENCE ENERGY AND MARITIME DIVISION

PACIFIC COMMUNITY (SPC)

VINAKA !

THANK YOU