By Maggie L Merrill

When power supplies are distant and expensive, and the population is close to the coast, it is tough to ignore the power lapping at the shores. Be it the rhythmic splash of breaking waves, the predictability of powerful tides, the unleashed winds offshore, or the speed of fast moving currents—the power of the ocean is enormous.

But exactly how to harness that power to generate electricity for generations to come is what the emerging ocean energy industry is all about. Technology advances and expertise garnered from the offshore oil and gas industry means capturing power from wind, waves, currents, and tidal fluctuations has become a reality. Of course, much has been learned from the United Kingdom and throughout the European Union where colleagues have pioneered offshore wind installations and are testing commercial-scale wave and tidal systems.

The New England Marine Renewable Energy Center (MREC), located in Fall River, Massachusetts, is one of several centers emerging in the US to develop marine renewable energy; specifically,  tidal, wave, and offshore wind. The initial focus is on building a university research consortium and on ocean test sites. Funded by the US Department of Energy, MREC and its university consortium members are engaged in a wide range of research and technology development projects.

MREC recently completed a survey aimed at gauging interest in the creation of a test site for marine renewable energy in the waters off of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands in Massachusetts. Response to the survey was overwhelmingly positive. Design and development groups across the industry were extremely enthusiastic and embraced the concept as a necessity for successful implementation of marine renewable energy in the US energy market. MREC hopes to work with all consortium members and key private industry players in the future to see the completion of this test site.

A key element in development of test sites will be the establishment of the National Offshore Renewable Energy Innovation Zone (NOREIZ), located on the south side of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. NOREIZ may be the only site in the nation where tidal, wave, and three regimes of offshore wind (shallow, transition, and deep/floating) can all be tested. MREC has begun a study of NOREIZ to determine actual test sites and to assess potential environmental impacts. Funding will then be sought to install permanent instrumented test stands. Currently, it is estimated that 70% of the cost of any ocean demonstration is in obtaining permits. The availability of pre-permitted and closely monitored test sites will speed development and lower the costs of new technology.

As a central effort in building the university consortium, MREC is hosting a technical conference on marine renewable energy technologies on Thursday October 15th, 2009, at the Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center (ATMC) in Fall River. With sessions dedicated to ocean wave energy conversion devices, tidal in stream conversion devices, and offshore wind generation systems and platform design, the conference will provide a forum for researchers to present new technologies. In addition, there will be a discussion of the methodology and results of site survey work completed in the waters between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. This work is crucial to pinpointing exact locations where there is a consistent power resource and for characterizing the seafloor for foundation and/or mooring installation.

This industry is so new to the US that there is a need to explore every aspect of it. Topics such as site selection, permitting, economic feasibility, appropriate technology, stakeholder outreach, grid integration, and government policies are being addressed in conference rooms, classrooms, and workshops all over the country. Organizations, such as MREC, have been established to advance the science of ocean generation of electricity and to assist the industry in finding new technology for commercialization.
 

MREC is based in University of Massachusetts—Dartmouth’s Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center (ATMC), an industry incubator for prototyping technologies. To learn more or to register for the 1st Annual MREC Technical Conference, visit www.mrec.umassd.edu.

Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center
www.atmc.umassd.edu