Assessment of wave energy resource in the European and Mediterranean coastal zones using high resolution altimetry products – WAPOSAL

The project’s primary objective is to evaluate the potential of wave renewable energy sources in coastal zones of Europe, Mediterranean and archipelagos where the energy can be efficiently harnessed. To achieve this objective, the project is processing the whole CryoSat, Sentinel-3A, and Sentinel-3B missions data over specific coastal zones and using the advanced SAMOSA+ retracker for the retrieval of improved geophysical quantities.

The proposal will deliver a state-of-art database of along-track wave power density estimates and maps of seasonal and average wave power density, its variability and trend maps in the coastal zones.

The innovative aspect of the proposal capitalizes on the application of the high spatial resolution and improved quality near the coast of the along-track wave energy density estimates, to determine the locations with the optimal conditions for harvesting wave energy with a high resolution.

This 15-month activity, kicked-off in July 2024, will be led by IST-ID- CENTEC (PT).

Background and Justification: 
In the context of the present energy crisis, harvesting energy from waves constitutes a possibility to relieve the energy crisis and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to a climate-neutral Europe in 2050. Satellite altimetry missions have brought a new perspective and paved the way for renewable energy assessment from space. High-resolution SAR altimetry products, from the ESA CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich missions, processed with coastal zone algorithms such as SAMOSA+ offer a new opportunity to improve coastal wave energy assessments.

References:

• Ponce de León, S.; Restano, M.; Benveniste, Assessing the wave power density in the Atlantic French façade from high-resolution CryoSat-2 SAR altimetry data, Energy, Volume 302, 2024, 131712, ISSN 0360-5442, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.131712
• Ponce de León S., J.H. Bettencourt, J.V. Ringwood, J. Benveniste. Assessment of combined wind and wave energy in European coastal waters using satellite altimetry. Applied Ocean Research, Volume 152, 2024, 104184, ISSN 0141-1187 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2024.104184
• Ponce de León, S.; Restano, M.; Benveniste, J. Assessment of Wave Power Density Using Sea State Climate Change Initiative Database in the French Façade, J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11, 1970 https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11101970