TY - CONF
TI - Hybrid marine eco-parks: Techno-economic analysis in potential Latin America markets
AU - Gorr-Pozzi, E
AU - Garcia-Nava, H
AU - Olmedo-González, J
AU - Selman-Caro, D
AU - Garcia-Vega, F
AU - Zertuche-Gonzalez, J
T2 - Pan American Marine Energy Conference (PAMEC 2024)
AB - The global weighted-average increase in technology readiness levels, installed capacity, and the reduction of new commissioning costs of commercial-scale renewable installations have been the main factors in achieving a competitive levelized cost of energy (LCoE) in the electricity pool, even below the fossil fuel cost range [1].  Diversification and modernization of the energy matrix through the affordable, safe, and sustainable harvester of Marine renewable energies (MRE) are possible ways to mitigate the vulnerability of coastal communities and climate change [2]. MRE includes ocean currents, tides, thermal and salinity gradients, wind waves, and offshore wind.  Several countries have considered offshore wind energy a crucial resource to drive the energy transition. It has some advantages over onshore wind energy, such as higher wind power, availability of large areas for the installation of wind farms, and lower resource variability [3]. Driven by the learning level and experience accumulated from long-term exploitation by onshore wind technologies, with a global total of 56 MW of nameplate capacity in 2021, offshore wind is weighted as the most competitive MRE [4]. Wave energy resource is another promising MRE with vast reserves available to be exploited on a large scale in the near future due to its high energy density per unit area, predictability, and that it naturally flows to coastal zones where its extraction is more cost-effective [5]. However, most wave energy converter (WEC) projects remain in the development phase of commercial scale performance reliability, and the broad range of LCoEs, between 75 and 500 USD/MWh, hamper their funding and commercial deployment [6], [7].  The integration of multiple RE sources, known as hybridization, offers several advantages in RE systems. By combining different energy sources, renewable hybrid systems (RHS) can improve reliability, increase efficiency, reduce costs, provide environmental benefits, and increase flexibility. RHS can balance the variability of RE sources, reduce the need for energy storage, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Hybridization can make renewables more competitive than traditional energy sources and provide a more sustainable and reliable energy supply [8]. Batteries and hydrogen are two relevant energy storage technologies that can be integrated into RHS, offering a range of advantages. Batteries can store excess energy generated by renewable sources, providing a more stable and reliable power supply. The stored energy can be used during low RE production or periods of high demand. On the other hand, green hydrogen can be produced and stored as fuel to satisfy the transportation, heating, and power generation markets. Overall, the  batteries and hydrogen integration in RHS can improve stability, reliability, and sustainability of energy production and distribution, although investment, operation, and maintenance costs can be high [9], [10]. Marine hybrid Ecoparks (MHE) are multipurpose coupled systems integrated in clusters by MREs and consolidated coastal industries, which may prove to be a sustainable strategy to accelerate the viability and competitiveness of emerging MREs [11], [12]. They can provide high commercial value by-products, developing the blue economy and the resilience of coastal communities [13], [14]. In addition, MHE units co-located with WEC and offshore wind turbines (OWT) arrays and marine aquaculture modules emerge as a potential solution that can strengthen energy and food security [15]. This study aims to understand the techno-economic feasibility of implementing coupled WEC and OWT systems by exploring hybridization and by-products to increase the cost-effectiveness of MHE deployment in a blue economy framework at two potential sites in the Latin American region. View Conference Paper here.View Presentation Slides here.
DA - 2024/02//
PY - 2024
SP - 16
UR - https://pamec.energy/events/pamec2024/conference-program/
LA - English
KW - Wave
KW - Modeling
KW - Alternative Markets
KW - Cost Assessment
ER -