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Developing Ireland’s massive wave resource into a new, clean energy source.
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TONN energy is an Irish development company, with considerable backing and specialist expertise from Vattenfall and Wavebob, working with local communities and agencies to transform wave energy from a technical innovation, through real world projects, into a viable new marine industry.
Tonn energy's vision is that by tapping the massive potential represented by wave energy, Ireland can be a net exporter of clean energy, generating
jobs and prosperity while replacing dirty power production.
Working with Irish organisations, Tonn energy is performing a roadmap of R&D covering topics such as environmental, operational and electrical design, which must be resolved before full scale deployment can be undertaken. Tonn energy is working to achieve operational feasibility of a small array (5MW) before contemplating commercially viable operations at 250MW.
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Environmental:
The Western Sea Board of Ireland has a significant opportunity to develop the capacity to harvest wave energy off its coast as a clean, renewable resource. The potential represented by these efforts is so promising that one day plants on the west coast of Europe could theoretically replace all coal and nuclear power plants in the whole of western Europe, resulting in a massive net reduction of impacts on the environment.
Even so, in order for wave energy to develop and fulfil these assumptions, we must reduce the uncertainties about the technology's effects on the marine environment. Tonn Energy are undertaking a program of work to assess the potential environmental impacts of wave energy, determine what is known and unknown, then fill the gaps. The program includes a rigorous set of scientific studies to address potential concerns. Some of these will be performed in collaboration with Ireland’s Wave Energy Test Site project, underway in Belmullet, Co.Mayo.
Operations:
Wave energy conversion devices, such as Wavebob, are now emerging from R&D as a technically feasible proposition. However, a great deal of work remains to be done to achieve safe and operationally feasible installations off the west coast of Ireland, before larger commercially viable installations can be considered. Tonn Energy is working to overcome the numerous operational issues that stand in the way of viable wave energy installations, including finer details of WEC devices and their operation, maintenance and supply chain requirements and harbour facilities for their assembly and deployment.
Irelands’ ability to grasp the opportunity represented by its massive natural wave energy resource hinges on our ability to establish the specialised engineering and other support capabilities need for an efficient, operational industry. Many of the base capabilities already exist in the West, arising from the strong ocean-going heritage there. Others, such as specialist vessels, ports and workforces will need to be developed.
Engineering:
In addition to addressing the environmental implications, and operational consideration of installing wave energy, Tonn Energy are also working to develop the electrical capabilities needed to facilitate the new ocean energy power source into Ireland’s renewable energy mix.
Generating substantial electricity from fully developed wave energy is largely an unknown quantity. Electrical engineering work is required to ensure that high quality power can be supplied into the grid in a safe and reliable manner. Fortunately, a great deal of work has already been done around the work for other industries such as oil, gas and wind energy. This can be adapted for wave energy projects in Ireland.
Tapping into Vattenfall’s considerable off-shore wind energy generation and transmission experience, Tonn Energy is working with the local agencies to define the transmission system required to dispatch small quantities (5MW) of wave energy. At the same time, Tonn Energy are working to ensure that grid capacity is in place, in time to accept the much, much larger quantities of clean, renewable ocean energy.
Community:
Ireland’s massive nature wave resource represents a great opportunity to create jobs and prosperity, by harvesting and exporting clean, renewable energy. With sufficient diligent care and attention, we believe wave energy can be developed into
a substantial new marine industry. This opportunity is particularly important for rural Ireland. The harsh conditions that have been the cause of so much hardship along the west coast are fast becoming a major strength. Some of the poorest underdeveloped areas in the West have the richest renewable resource in the form of wave energy.
The potential represented by this opportunity are not yet well known. There is little awareness amongst the local stakeholders, decision makers or the public generally of what will be involved in harnessing Ireland’s unique wave energy opportunity. At Tonn Energy we are working to make sure that people get to know about wave energy, how it could come about and what it will mean for local communities and Ireland generally. We are working to understand and embrace the potential impacts, positive and negative, that the proposed developments could have, and to modify plans accordingly. We are committed to ensuring that wave energy is a genuinely positive development for Ireland.
Power Generation:
Vattenfall, a Swedish public limited company, generates, distributes and sells electricity and heat to customers throughout Europe. It is one of Europe’s largest electrical utilities generating 160TWh and consolidated sales in 2008 of approximately €17 billion. Operations today are conducted in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, UK and now Ireland. The Group has 38,000 employees and the Parent Company, Vattenfall AB is 100% owned by the Swedish State. The group has expanded into the UK and Ireland markets having acquired the 300MW Thanet Offshore Wind project in Kent. In 2008 Vattenfall acquired the wind power companies AMEC Wind Energy Ltd and Eclipse Energy Plc making Vattenfall one of the biggest wind power operators in Britain, operating on and off shore.
Vattenfall CEO Lars G Josefsson lobbies heavily for a global emissions cap and a global trading system for carbon dioxide. He has founded the 3C Initiative, under which 67 of the world's biggest companies have agreed on principles to create a "low-emitting society". In June 2009 Josefsson accepted an invitation from the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, to join his Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change.
Power Convertion Technology:
Wavebob Ltd is an indigenous technology firm, founded in 1999, headquartered in Ireland holding international patents for wave energy conversion technology. Wavebob Ltd has produced the first Irish device and one of only a handful worldwide to have successfully harnessed the energy of the ocean waves. The prototype of ‘Wavebob’ was installed on the Marine Institute’s test site at Spiddle, Co.Galway in March 2006. It was the first device to produce electricity in Irish waters, achieving 3000 hours of operation.
Address: Fitzwilliam Hall, Fitzwilliam Place. Dublin 2, Ireland.Tel: +353.1.669.8524Email: info_tonnenergy.ieWeb: http://www.tonnenergy.ie
Address: Fitzwilliam Hall, Fitzwilliam Place.
Dublin 2, Ireland.
Tel: +353.1.669.8524
Email: info_tonnenergy.ie
Web: http://www.tonnenergy.ie
