Energy From The Sea: A New Renewable Source, Is It Worth It?
30 August 2010
"European policy-makers are facing a challenging strategy – a balancing act of combating climate change and securing the energy supply, while ensuring global cost competitiveness. The ocean can become a major element of this strategy: ocean energy." These are the opening words of the "Oceans of Energy: European Ocean Energy Roadmap 2010-2050" presented last May by the European Ocean Energy Association. There are several projects and studies that foster this kind of renewable energy, but is it convenient from a cost effective point of view? Looking through the recent research published by Frost & Sullivan the potentiality of the sea in terms of energy is 6.000 terawatt/ hours/ year for plants using the wave motion and 700 TWh/year for plants using the tide motion. The research underlines that at least 5-10 years are still necessary to obtain a competitive technology but can the results really be convenient: the estimated amount of energy will cover 15% of EU needs and the value will be twice the current nuclear production. At the moment, the main hurdle is the initial investment: the necessary amount for one megawatt is 2,4 million euros.
There are many steps that have to be taken but the advantages in terms of gained energy, CO2 saved, employment and so on, emphasize that the sea will be an excellent renewable source and, even if this is still an expensive technology, in Europe there are several investments and incentives that support it! Go for it ocean energy!

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