Abstract
Bordering the Bay-of-Bengal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Myanmar possess significant potential for harnessing wave energy to address their growing energy crisis. This study aims to comprehensively characterize wave energy resources in the exclusive economic zones of the Bay-of-Bengal's littoral countries. The study utilizes 13 years of wave hindcasts obtained from WAVEWATCH-III, a widely used third-generation numerical wave model. Various approaches for characterizing wave energy resources were employed, including site accessibility analysis and extreme event analysis, which were overlooked in prior studies on Bay-of-Bengal. The research revealed that the mean wave energy flux in the Bay-of-Bengal is higher (16–39 kW/m) during the summer-monsoon season (July–October) and lower (2–12.5 kW/m) during the post-monsoon season (November–February). Consequently, the summer-monsoon season is deemed appropriate for energy harvesting, while the post-monsoon season is ideal for wave energy converter installation, servicing, or maintenance. The sea-state analysis demonstrated that the significant wave height and energy period of the most frequent and energetic sea-states in the Bay-of-Bengal range from 0.5 to 3.5 m and 4–16 s, respectively. Based on considerations of annual energy storage, resource stability, and wave energy converter survivability, the locations in the exclusive economic zones of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands were identified as the most suitable for constructing wave power plants. The research findings presented herein can assist local authorities and stakeholders in the energy sector by facilitating a comparison of wave energy resources across different locations and determining the most suitable sites for wave power plant construction that align with their energy needs and goals. Additionally, the results can aid wave energy converter developers in planning tests in the Bay-of-Bengal, maintaining their devices, and evaluating potential sites for opportunities and risks.