Wales- the Saudi Arabia of marine renewables? Dr Ron Loveland Director: sustainable energy and industry Wales Department of environment, sustainability.

Wales- the Saudi Arabia of marine renewables?

Dr Ron LovelandDirector: sustainable energy and industry Wales

Department of environment, sustainability and housingWelsh Assembly Government

Pembrokeshire college-March 2009

ron.loveland@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Simple objectives for energy policy !

• Energy supplies need to :• Be affordable.• Be readily available.• Be safe.• Use secure fuel sources, and• Create minimal environmental impact.

• Energy should be used as efficiently as possible

• We want to gain maximum local economic benefit

But in practice?

WALES CLEAN ENERGY & SITES RESOURCE

Clean-electricity generation in Wales : relevant policies

Economic development/innovation/manufacturing

policies

Energy policies

Public understanding

Environment policies

Transport policies

Spatial (land&sea) planning and building policies

Device & project development/company growth

Site identification/assessments

Physical infrastructure

Local authority/community

policies

Ports/rivers/roads/rail

Electricity grid connections/gas pipelines

Site licence/consentprocesses

Carbon trading/taxes

Business development/financial support

Supply chain development /construction competences

Skills availability

Education/skillspolicies

Traffic assessments Environmental

project-impact assessments

Regional strategic environmental assessments

CLIMATE CHANGE

Environmental databases

ron.loveland@ wales.gsi.gov.uk

Energy security

EconOpps.

Utilities involvement

Test/modelling facilities

Agriculture/forestry policies

FinancepoliciesMITIGATION

CO2 underground storage facilities/pipelines

Safety/security issues

International dimensions

Coal/oil/gas/biomass/etc resources

R&D/university support

1910s -South Wales world-leader for quality steam coal productionwith 250,000 miners producing 60m tonnes of coal pa ;

1960s - Centre of UK’s oil refining operations at Milford Haven;

1960’s -UK’s only nuclear power plant in a national park constructed in Wales:now decommissioned but with another 1GW nuclear station at Wylfa still operational

;1974/84- Europe’s largest 2GW pumped-storage electricity plant built at

Dinorwig- one of Europe’s engineering marvels/ world’s

largest underground excavation with a continuing role in high-efficiency energy storage and rapid electricity-grid response

1975- Eco ground-breaking Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)established at Machynlleth

Wales at forefront of energy transformations: past, present and future:

20th Century

1988 - UK’s first large scale on-shore wind turbines demonstrated in Burry Port.

1999/2002-World’s highest efficiency 500MW gas turbine power stationbuilt in south Wales by GE(H series) .

2004-UK's first spatial-plan driven renewable energy planning guidance issued by Welsh Assembly Government (TAN 8)

2005 -UK’s first 50 MW plus on shore wind farm commissioned in mid Wales.

2005- UK’s first commercial off-shore wind farm built off north Wales.2008-World’s first major utility-led tidal stream project

announced for Ramsey Sound 2008- UK's first pilot post-combustion carbon-dioxide capture plant

for a coal power station announced by RWE for Aberthaw 2009-UK’s largest LNG import terminals

commissioned at Milford Haven 2008/2010 up to £20 billion, multi-GW, Severn tidal power project

under serious consideration;.

Wales at forefront of energy transformations: more recent past/now

Wales at forefront of energy transformations: :also now

•World’s largest wave-energy converter to be demonstratedoff the Pembrokeshire Coast

•Wales is UK centre for photo-voltaic system manufacturing, alongside significant academic solar-energy strengths.

•World’s largest biomass power station (350MW) to be built in Port Talbot

• Wales is also centre for a wide range of other large scale bio-energy developments including :

•Shotton Paper chp plant;• Western Wood/Welsh Power electricity stations;

•Co-firing with coal at Aberthaw and Uskmouth power stations;•Bluestone heated by locally grown crops:

•And Wales has ambitious energy- efficiency and micro-generation plans

UK CCC report to Government. The low carbon map

• Decarbonise UK power sector by 2030: vital objective

• Significantly reduce energy use in buildings and industry by 2020

• Reduce domestic transport carbon emissions

• Curtail air transport, shipping and land-use greenhouse gas reductions

All leading by 2050 to an 80% reduction in UK’s carbon dioxide (equivalent) emissions: to around 2 tonnes per capita per annum- and much lower than that by 2100

http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/

UK CCC: decarbonising UK power sector by 2030

• Massive increase in renewable electricity generation, first through wind, possibly biomass and then marine

• Significant new nuclear station build (providing concerns about radioactive waste and nuclear proliferation risks can be addressed)

• All coal stations fitted with CCS in 2020s(and gas-fired stations subsequently-i.e in 2030-2050 period)

Wales producing more renewable electricity than its national electricity

consumption within 20 years?•Ambitious task but with determination,

partnership and public support, we believe Wales can deliver

•To this end Wales renewables energy route map launched in February 2008

– by 2025,33TWhr pa of electricity in Wales from renewables (half marine, third wind, rest from

biomass/waste, hydro, micro-generation)

http://new.wales.gov.uk/consultations/closedconsultations/environment/renewenergymap/?

lang=en

Severn Estuary-second highest tidal range in world-many options for Giga-watts of energy extraction

La Rance, France

Severn Estuary alone could produce 5%+ of UK’s electricity needs

Severn tidal power: complex analysis- with 16 engineering, environment and economic ASPECTS

(plus separate financing and innovation studies) • Carbon footprint• Fish and fisheries• Flood risk & land

drainage• Groundwater, freshwater

& soils• Historic environment• Hydraulics &

Geomorphology• Landscape and seascape• Marine ecology

• Marine water quality• Navigation• Noise and vibration• Ornithology• Other sea-bed uses• Socio economics &

community• Terrestrial ecology• Waste and resources

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/energy/severntidal/?lang=en

GW of tidal- stream resource in Wales

Some tidal stream devices

GW of wave power

resource off SW Wales

Wave Dragon

7MW pilot project proposed off Pembrokeshire

Generation of electricityin Wales from marine tidal and wave power

• If Cardiff-Weston barrage: 18TWhr/pa

(Wales allocation = 9)

• Other marine, including wave,

tidal stream and lagoon: 5(or more)TWhr/pa

• Possible total by 2025: 14 TWh/pa (or more)

……………………………………………………………….

Plus further 6GW of offshore wind power in prospect

Marine energy: way forward

• Severn tidal power feasibility and ‘innovative technologies’ studies• WAG marine environmental data capture exercise/SEA• Commercial scale wave and tidal stream demonstrators• R&D( inc. Wales marine energy research task force-which includes

Wales strong general marine science expertise)• Hydrodynamic modelling facility considerations• Energy resource marine-area zoning?

…………………– Clarifying Wales marine energy strategic direction– Use of EU Convergence Funds where appropriate– Close liaison with DECC, CT and RAB (on banding of renewables

obligation, technology development, etc)– Marine spatial planning under new Marine Act– Joint working with Scotland under auspices of British Irish Council

Major wind power projects in Wales

•Currently 350MW of on-shore wind turbines but potential for further 2000 MW in

selected (including forestry) areas•Four consented off-shore wind farms (North Hoyle (60MW), Rhyl Flats and

Scarweather(100MW each), GyM(750MW)•Planned new 1500MW and 3500MW off-

shore wind farm zones

Strategic search areas for large onshore wind farms

Green jobs agenda• “ET may be the ‘new’ ICT?”• Ambition to decarbonise UK electricity production by

2030 provides enormous opportunities• Wales could be the Saudi Arabia of renewables-

especially in marine sector?• Up to £50 billion of energy investments in Wales over

next 15 years?• Up to 200,000 man-years in a large Severn tidal project• Electric vehicles mainstream in UK by 2020• Major opportunities for energy efficiency and new

technology in buildings and industry.• Special opportunities in Wales in marine/ aerospace/car

engines? “Truly massive change agenda but actual timing of

developments critical for commercial success “

UK CCC timelines

2050 2008

Wind and nuclear

Energy efficiency improvement

Renewable heat

Electric heat

Electric cars/plug in hybrids

20201-2% of UK

GDP in 2050

Other renewable and CCS

AND

Main Wales energy R&D opportunities

Focus in WLCRI and WAG/WEFO on support for:• Marine renewables.• Building design/energy efficiency/micro-generation

(especially PV and heat pumps).• Combustion (biomass and fossil fuels) efficiency

improvements and CCS developments.• Smart meters/electricity storage/changing ‘whole energy

system’ paradigms.• Bio-refining: processes and source crops(2nd/3rd gen)• Underground coal gasification-and carbon dioxide

storage (CCS)• Hydrogen• Energy-efficient vehicles, including aircraft

http://www.iea.org/Textbase/techno/etp/index.asp

High added-value services opportunities in Wales?

• Legal advice• Energy consultancies• Innovation centres• Energy project advisors• Architects• Eco-services/seismic surveying• Nuclear decommissioning• Ports/construction/heavy plant sectors• PR companies

WALES CLEAN ENERGY & SITES RESOURCE

Joined-up government policies are essential: example of clean energy generation

Economic development/innovation/manufacturing

policies

Energy policies

Public understanding

Environment policies

Transport policies

Spatial (land&sea) planning and building policies

Device & project development/company growth

Site identification/assessments

Physical infrastructure

Local authority/community

policies

Ports/rivers/roads/rail

Electricity grid connections/gas pipelines

Site licence/consentprocesses

Carbon trading/taxes

Business development/financial support

Supply chain development /construction competences

Skills availability

Education/skillspolicies

Traffic assessments Environmental

project-impact assessments

Regional strategic environmental assessments

CLIMATE CHANGE

Environmental databases

ron.loveland@ wales.gsi.gov.uk

Energy security

EconOpps.

Utilities involvement

Test/modelling facilities

Agriculture/forestry policies

FinancepoliciesMITIGATION

CO2 underground storage facilities/pipelines

Safety/security issues

International dimensions

Coal/oil/gas/biomass/etc resources

R&D/university support

Welsh Assembly Government energy-strategy frameworks

• Renewable energy route map• Green jobs strategy• Transport and waste strategies• Climate change/3% annual carbon reductions

plan• Bio-energy action plan• Marine energy strategic direction• National efficiency and savings plan• Overarching energy strategy-Autumn 2009

GLOBAL WARMING-THE FUTURE?

“We must, indeed, all hang-together or,

most assuredly, we shall all hang separately” Benjamin Franklin