Marine Renewable Energy
Marine renewable energy refers to the energy that can be harnessed from the ocean’s waves, tides, currents, and temperature gradients. It has the potential to be a significant source of renewable energy, and can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. There are a number of technologies that are being developed to harness marine renewable energy, including wave energy converters, tidal turbines, and ocean thermal energy conversion systems.
Wave energy converters are devices that convert the kinetic energy of waves into electricity. They typically consist of a buoy or float that moves up and down with the waves, driving a generator to produce electricity. Tidal turbines, on the other hand, are similar to wind turbines but are placed underwater to capture the energy of tidal currents. They typically consist of a rotor and blades that spin as the tide flows past, generating electricity.
Ocean thermal energy conversion systems harness the temperature difference between the warm surface waters and cold deep waters of the ocean to produce electricity. They typically involve circulating a fluid such as ammonia between a warm surface water source and a cold deep water source, which causes the fluid to vaporize and spin a turbine to generate electricity.
While marine renewable energy has the potential to be a significant source of renewable energy, there are a number of challenges that must be overcome in order to fully realize this potential. One of the biggest challenges is the high cost of developing and deploying these technologies, as well as the difficulty of accessing and maintaining them in the harsh marine environment. There are also concerns about the potential impacts of marine renewable energy on marine ecosystems and wildlife, such as the risk of collision with marine animals and the potential for noise pollution.
Despite these challenges, marine renewable energy holds great promise as a source of clean, renewable energy for the future. By investing in research and development, improving technology and infrastructure, and addressing concerns about environmental impacts, we can work to harness the full potential of marine renewable energy and help to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
References:
Boehlert, G. W., & Gill, A. B. (2010). Environmental and ecological effects of ocean renewable energy development: a current synthesis. Oceanography, 23(2), 68-81.
Copping, A., & Geerlofs, S. (2010). Progressing marine energy deployment through risk management and stakeholder engagement. Marine Policy, 34(5), 1051-1058.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2021). Marine and hydrokinetic technology development. Retrieved from https://www.nrel.gov/research/marine-hydrokinetic.html.
