The role of knowledge in fostering international cooperation to better understand the

environmental effects of marine renewable energy through the use of Tethys

Matthew Preisser

I. ABSTRACT

Marine renewable energy (MRE) is an emerging industry that harnesses electrical power from marine environments. Since it is a new market, there is a need to spread current knowledge on its potential effects to the environment to ensure the industry can start off on a solid foundation. Tethys is a knowledge management system developed and maintained at PNNL. The purpose of Tethys is to facilitate the exchange of information on the environmental effects of MRE while serving as a commons to enhance the connectedness between the industry, researchers, regulators and other interested parties. General improvements were made to enhance resources on the website, focused around geolocation. These improvements are a necessary to ensure that the flow of information through the website remains up to date and is searchable.

A specific area of expanded use for Tethys was initiated as part of this project, increasing the ability to search for information by waterbody. Data sources were gathered from the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada, and from Sequim Bay in Washington, and represented by metadata in Tethys. An in-depth look into the website analytics provided better understanding of how MRE is growing in different regions around the world. Geographical trends over time showed correlations between countries producing documents for the knowledge base and users of the site. Through this analysis it was clear that the countries engaged in research into the environmental effects of MRE tend to use Tethys more than others, however many smaller and developing countries that have access to large bodies of water are also extensively viewing the site. MRE technologies show great potential for supplying electricity to these smaller countries, and resources such as Tethys serve to advance the industry while ensuring the protection of the environment.

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II. INTRODUCTION

As concerns over global climate change and the demand for energy both continue to grow, more people are looking towards new forms of renewable energy [1]. Marine renewable energy (MRE) encompasses all energy that is generated from the kinetic movement of the oceans (surface waves, currents, or tides) or potential energy from differences in salinity and temperature [2]. In the US, this form of energy generation is often referred to as MHK (marine and hydrokinetic energy). Riverine energy - energy through the movement of rivers that is collected through turbines and not by traditional dams - can also be included.

One of the biggest concerns with MRE is the environmental impacts. While the public has a high interest in marine environmental issues, there is a large gap between awareness and availability of information [3]. Many members of the public are unaware of how MRE will affect the environment, and they fear that putting such devices in the water will negatively impact places that are of significant importance to them [4]. Fisherman fear MRE development could destroy the industry that they rely on, and the public is concerned that marine mammals will be struck and killed by such devices. This perceived danger can stop the advancement of the industry [5]. Having a knowledge base that can put these fears to rest is an essential tool for gaining public trust and acceptance to MRE projects, as well as satisfy the legally required permitting and licensing for these devices.

One of the major functions of Tethys is to collect documents related to the environmental impacts of MRE, in order to facilitate the exchange of information and further enhance the connectedness of the renewable energy community [6]. The knowledge base (the searchable database itself) includes journal and magazine articles, technical reports, book chapters, presentations, and conference papers in a sortable, filterable table. The map viewer is another resource on the site that shows the location of geotagged articles or reports. Tethys is continually updated to include the most relevant material on the environmental impacts of wave, tidal, and other MRE technologies. Land-based and offshore wind is also addressed by Tethys but this project focuses primarily on MRE. Knowing how these forms of technology are affecting the environment are important in understanding how to protect the environment from future harm.

The Department of Energy’s mission statement is: “…to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.” [7] For example, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) does research on the environmental effects of marine technology, while the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) works on testing aspects of the technology, and the technologies are developed by the industry. Having this searchable database makes cooperation between groups more efficient. This also has a global impact as countries are working together to ensure the safe continual use of marine environments [8]. It is also important that Tethys is a public database to ensure that regulators, developers, stakeholders, and others have the same information from which to make mutually acceptable decisions [9]. Tethys requires continual updates as new information becomes available, to ensure that the information stays relevant.

During this project, information on Tethys was updated and new features were added to ensure that the site remains a powerful tool. A new feature initialized by this project will expand the map viewer by adding the ability to search for information by waterbody. Data sources were

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collected from the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada and from Sequim Bay, Washington, and will be stored as metadata in Tethys to make this new feature possible. The focus of the updates and data acquisition centered on the geographical location of information; this information can then be analyzed to better track where MRE research is being carried out and how it is being disseminated.

III. SETTING AND METHODS

This work was done at the Seattle Office of PNNL and was based on online research. Google Scholar was used as the primary source for finding new journal articles and reports to be added to Tethys. Google Maps and Google Analytics were used to research and better visualize geographical information. Researchers and interns in other laboratories and universities were contacted by email and Skype to collect data from the Bay of Fundy and Sequim Bay. Additional information on data collection and analysis can be found in the following section.

IV. GENERAL IMPROVMENTS AND METADATA COLLECTION

A. Improvements to knowledge base Over the course of my work, I completed several tasks aimed at improving Tethys by

enhancing the knowledge base. A number of documents were added directly to the database that were found either through Google Scholar, or were imported from outside sources such as the NREL’s database WILD (Wind-Wildlife Impacts Literature Database). Whenever possible, a PDF file of the document is attached to ensure that one could have easy access to the document online; the exception is where copyright law prohibits making PDFs publically available. The properties of all the PDF files currently on Tethys were checked to ensure each of them had the appropriate title and author listed. The knowledge base links documents to the authors’ organizations and/or the sponsors of the work. Descriptions of numerous organizations (universities, research institutes, non-profits, etc.) were added to Tethys to promote better conductivity within the sector. B. Additions to other resources

Tethys has many other resources beyond the knowledge base and the map viewer, including the Tethys Story. Every few weeks a new story or blog post is posted that might interest viewers. I researched, wrote, and posted the story titled “Tidal Lagoons: Another Technique for Capturing Marine Renewable Energy.” [6] This story highlights some of the key features of the tidal lagoon being built for Swansea Bay in the Severn Estuary in the Bristol Channel, United Kingdom. The glossary on Tethys is another useful page that provides definitions of some common words on Tethys. I researched and expanded specific types of technologies (tidal turbines, tidal barrages, wave attenuator, etc.) to better differentiate among different MRE devices. C. Additions to the map viewer

The Tethys map viewer is a great resource to envision the location of research documents and reports. Though some research studies address broad concepts that do not pertain to exact locations, these documents are not geotagged or included in the map viewer. Before I started

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adding documents, there was approximately 700 geotagged documents; I increased that number to approximately 2,078, a 197% increase. There are 3,357 total items in the knowledge base; now 61.90% of all documents have a geolocation associated with them. Along with the addition of documents to the map viewer, I researched new website modules to better enhance the usability of this resource. With over 2,000 data points on the map, it can be difficult to navigate through so much information; these new modules could be used to organize the data points into clusters based on regions (compared to the current method of clustering across regional borders). Data points at the same location (i.e. the same research site) can appear cluttered and are sometimes difficult to navigate. These new modules could provide automated updates to organize the data points into easier to use groupings. Further research and development in this area is needed to implement the modules. D. Metadata collection

Research data originate at countless facilities around the world and are often difficult to locate and are not readily accessible. The point of collecting the metadata is to have a written record of available data and contact information to obtain the data. Metadata were developed from the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada, based on data stored on their numerous GIS layers. Layers include information on bathymetry data, ecological regions, and tidal range data. This was done by collaborating with Canadian researchers and interns (Dr. Anna Redden and Elizabeth Nagel), working through an Excel spreadsheet that contained relevant information for the layers. The metadata will be added online to the Tethys knowledge base and map viewer. A similar process for collecting metadata is underway for the Sequim Bay PNNL lab, connecting to data on salinity, pH, depth, current speeds, etc. This process will help to keep track of data that can be referenced in future.

V. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ANALYSIS

Google Analytics is used to analyze and track how, when, and where people are viewing

Tethys. Different statistics were examined as part of this project and are discussed below.

A. Countries with greatest number of sessions over the past year Examining the use of Tethys by country, I looked at pageviews as a measure of use. Table 1

organizes the countries by the number of pageviews, which is defined as the total number of pages viewed including repeated views of a single page. The time period analyzed was June 1st of 2015 through June 30th of 2016, to ensure that full months’ worth of data were analyzed. One of the difficulties with using the pageview statistic is that the country might not be represented well, based on population. Less populous countries who might be using Tethys more than larger countries might have lower numbers simply because they have a smaller population. With this taken into consideration, it is still possible to explain why many of these countries rank highly in the list of pageviews.

Two different international organizations that have a role in Tethys are Annex IV and

WREN, both of which explore the environmental effects of MRE and wind energy, respectively. Annex IV was established by the IEA Ocean Energy Systems (OES) to mobilize information and practitioners from partnering nations to progress the MRE industry in an environmentally responsible manner and is implemented by PNNL. WREN (Working Together to Resolve

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Environment Effects of Wind Energy) was established by the IEA Wind Committee with the objective of facilitating international collaboration and advance global understanding of potential environmental effects of wind energy and is implemented jointly by PNNL and NREL [10].

Table 1: Country and number of Tethys pageviews ranked from high to low (June 1st, 2015 – June 30th, 2016)

Partner countries for Annex IV are Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria,

Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Countries involved in WREN are France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States. All of these countries rank highly in pageviews (Table 1) except for New Zealand, most likely due to its small population, and Nigeria, a country with many inefficiencies in the allocation of energy resources but with high renewable energy potential [11].

Rank Country Pageviews Annex IV

Country

WREN Country

1 United States 236,421 X X 2 United Kingdom 26,021 X X 3 Canada 8,528 X 4 Germany 5,871 X 5 Ireland 5,146 X X 6 France 4,349 X 7 Japan 4,210 X 8 Sweden 4,076 X X 9 Spain 3,808 X X 10 China 3,420 X 11 Chile 3,288 12 Netherlands 3,241 X 13 Australia 3,045 14 India 2,414 15 Portugal 1,959 X 16 Italy 1,756 17 Russia 1,747 18 Belgium 1,465 19 Norway 1,460 X X 20 Switzerland 1,393 X 21 Brazil 1,366 22 Greece 1,041 23 Mexico 998 24 Denmark 913

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Looking at the top three countries using Tethys, all are English speaking (which is the language of the website), have direct ties to PNNL research, and are a part of Annex IV and/or WREN. The US is at the top with the most pageviews probably because it was developed here. It also makes sense that 72.19% of these pageviews are from Washington State, reflecting use at PNNL, ongoing work on the site, and use by PNNL-associated partners. The UK also has a lot of research going on in Wales and in Scotland around the Orkney Islands. There are many research groups focused on the environmental impact of MRE based here such as the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). The UK’s offshore wind power potential also puts the country far ahead of others when it comes to developing the analogous MRE industry [12]. Canada is also high on the list due to a strong emphasis on tidal development at FORCE and west coast wave development. Regions of Canada with the most pageviews support this statement with a high percentage of pageviews coming from Nova Scotia and British Columbia, both coastal provinces rich in marine energy resources. According to other statistics from Google Analytics, the three most commonly used search languages are variations of English (US, UK, and Canadian English), which again support these countries’ frequent use of the website.

The countries that are not a part of Annex IV and WREN that make the top 24 list in

pageviews are the countries that I am most interested in because they have the fewest obvious ties to Tethys. All of these outlier countries have access to large bodies of water, which could mean that there is adequate potential for MRE in these countries. India’s spot at number 14 for most pageviews probably comes from their situation of being a developing nation with an extremely high population and their push for more sustainable forms of energy [13], as well as a vibrant research community in marine industries [10]. Indians may want to develop MRE technologies and are welcoming these ideas, and hope to learn from what other countries are doing so they can benefit. The same thing could be said for Brazil [14], and Chile [15]. Greece (ranked 22nd) is a smaller country, also having economic troubles in recent years, but has extensive access to water where MRE has a high potential.

B. Comparing Tethys map viewer and Google Analytics city viewer

When looking at the map viewer on Tethys (Fig. 1) we can see that certain areas produce more research than others. Figure 2 is a map showing number of pageviews based on cities. The US is excluded from this map to better contrast other parts of the world. Figure 1 shows us that the documents coming out of Northern Europe, the UK, and the Scandinavian countries eclipses those that are coming out of other places of the world. Figure 2 shows us that the majority of the pageviews also come from these areas. But looking more closely at Figure 2, we can see ‘hot spots’ around the globe. Countries including India, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, and Chile also have a high number of pageviews. Australia is a developed country and ranked 13th on the most pageviews list (Table 1), reflecting their political uncertainty in MRE development, but also their interest in future renewable energy technology [10], [16], [17]. Developing countries such as India, Brazil, and Chile are all not necessarily researching MRE and producing reports at the same rate as other countries, but each is pushing towards developing more renewable energy sources and using Tethys as a tool to further advance potential development. These countries could also represent the language barrier, in that the language of the site is English but the primary languages of Brazil and Chile are different.

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Figure 1: Map Viewer screenshot of Tethys showing location of geotagged documents as of July 7th, 2016

Figure 2: Google Analytics screenshot showing weighted location of pageviews based on cities, excluding the United States (June 1st, 2015 through June 30th, 2016)

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New Zealand and Singapore represent another interesting aspect of MRE development. Singapore relies on imported energy due to its small size [18], while New Zealand uses extensive hydropower resources on the islands [19]. Many small island communities rely on energy for economic growth, but importing fossil fuel is expensive, has many long term financial risks [20] and can jeopardize the security of the country. But having a small population means that they do not need a large energy industry. MRE has a major advantage for these smaller niche countries because the country has easy access to an endless power supply that can power a large percentage of its coastal-oriented development and citizenry [20]. This potential for supplying small and Remote Island/coastal communities with MRE can be seen around the world including Alaska [21], India [22], and Australia [23].

C. Case Study: Indonesia

Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia made up of thousands of islands. It was chosen to be examined in depth because of its status as a developing island nation that has a high potential for MRE, including extensive low current tidal energy and some wave energy potential. From June 2015 to June 2016, Indonesia ranked 28th for countries with most pageviews on Tethys, which likely means they are interested in some form of MRE. Indonesia is a prime spot for MRE for a number of reasons. It is made up of thousands of tiny islands which make it difficult to connect to a single electrical grid, and a good candidate for dispersed electrical supply. Electrification of the country will most likely be accomplished through individual village grids that are powered by some form of renewable energy [24]. Indonesia is the 4th most populous country but 80 million people lack access to electricity. Indonesia has many oil and natural gas deposits but due to over extraction and export, they now import fossil fuel [25]. In light of this struggle for energy, Indonesia needs a new source of electricity for its over 250 million inhabitants. Recent exploratory ventures have identified potential tidal energy development areas in this populous nation [26], [27].

75% of the nation’s energy consumption comes from non-renewable energy sources (oil, gas, coal), which amounts to just under 1 million kboe, or kilobarrel of oil equivalent [28]. This is equivalent to 1.7 million GWh of electricity. This is the amount of electricity needed just to reach the current demand in the country from non-renewable sources, so in reality they will need more provide a reliable source to the entire population. Not all of this demand is likely to come from MRE, but incorporating wave, tidal, current, and wind energy into a more diverse energy portfolio can help the country become more energy independent. Indonesia has some of the most species-diverse waters in the world [29], so also understanding the environmental impacts of this technology is essential. Two different reports have predicted that the power from a tidal array in the Alas Strait could provide about 620 GWh of electricity every year [26], [27].This is just a small drop out of the total that is needed but this only focuses on one waterbody. Combining this with other forms of MRE, we see that Indonesia has a potential offshore wind power capacity of 1,401 GW [30]. If we assume an annual real world output of 20%, with an availability of 50% , generating 1.2 million GWh might be possible. Using different MRE technologies to diversify an energy portfolio can greatly benefit a nation economically and in terms of security by reducing the need to rely on imported fuels. Using resources such as Tethys to understand environmental impacts of this technology can assist and speed up the process of implementing MRE technology in countries like Indonesia.

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VI. CONCLUSION

International cooperation is necessary for the future of MRE, and will continue to be helpful for other industries such as offshore and onshore wind development. Organizations such as Annex IV and WREN that utilize resources such as Tethys can better facilitate the flow of information between countries. Tethys is not just a place for research institutions to search for information but it can be a tool for regulators to support informed decisions, and for the public to increase their understanding of potential effects of MRE technology, and leaders of developing nations looking to harness new forms of energy while protecting the marine environment. There are many unknowns associated with MRE that can delay projects, such as the uncertainty about collision risk for fish and marine mammals around tidal turbines. Tethys can be used to educate the public and gain their support for MRE development. Learning about the real impacts can remove the perceived fear behind MRE, which will remove roadblocks for future development. This information should be accessible to everyone and Tethys is used to facilitate this sharing of information.

Using an online resource makes it much easier to track the use of information. Many of the documents on Tethys can be found elsewhere on the internet or in other publications, but by collecting them all in one central location, it is possible to track the flow of information. This can help guide future research because it is easier to identify gaps in research. Using geolocation tools to track these documents can allow researchers to contact one another to accomplish the common goal of environmentally friendly marine renewable energy.

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VII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Department of Energy. I would like to thank the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program for giving me the opportunity to complete this work over the course of the summer.

I would also like to thank my mentor, Andrea Copping, for guidance over the summer and for giving me the best work experiences possible. I also show my gratitude and appreciation to Jonathan Whiting for working with me this summer and teaching me about Tethys.

To learn more go to http://tethys.pnnl.gov

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