Abstract
This 2010 Annual Report reviews the progress of activities of the Implementing Agreement on Ocean Energy Systems (OES-IA) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) during the year 2010. The OES-IA operates within a framework created by the IEA.
“The International Energy Agency (IEA) was established as an autonomous body within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 to implement an international energy programme and act as a policy advisor to countries on energy, including renewable energy. Presently the IEA has 28 member countries. The 42 multilateral technology initiatives (Implementing Agreements) supported by the IEA are a flexible and effective framework for IEA member and non‑member countries, businesses, industries, international organizations and non-government organisations to research breakthrough technologies, to fill existing research gaps, to build pilot plants, to carry out deployment or demonstration programmes – in short to encourage technology‑related activities that support energy security, economic growth and environmental protection.”
The Implementing Agreement on Ocean Energy Systems (OES-IA) was initiated by three countries in 2001. As of December 2010, 18 countries are members of the OES-IA: Portugal, Denmark, United Kingdom, Japan, Ireland, Canada, the United States of America, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Australia, Republic of Korea and South Africa, ordered by sequence of joining the Agreement. The last two, the Republics of Korea and South Africa, joined in 2010. Further countries have been invited and are expected to join in the next years, including Finland, France, Brazil, India, the Netherlands, China, Chile and Indonesia.
This annual report presents the activities of the OES-IA during 2010. Task 2 – Development of Recommended Practices for Testing and Evaluating Ocean Energy Systems, terminated in 2009 and in early 2010 a set of reports were published in the website covering i) generic and site related wave and tidal data, ii) development and evaluation protocol for ocean energy systems and iii) guidelines for open sea testing and evaluation of ocean energy systems.
The work programme during the year focused on 3 Tasks:
- Task 1 – Review, Exchange and Dissemination of Information on Ocean Energy Systems
- Task 3 – Integration of Ocean Energy Plants into Distribution and Transmission Electrical Grids
- Task 4 – Assessment of Environmental Effects and Monitoring Efforts for Ocean Wave, Tidal and Current Energy Systems
Chapter 1 of the present report describes the basic organization, membership and activities of the OES-IA during 2010. Chapter 2 presents the progress report of the tasks that are currently active, as well as the concluded Task 2.
Chapter 3 presents the international situation on ocean energy: each Executive Committee member provides an overview of national activities focusing on the ocean energy policy, research, development and technology demonstrations during the year.
Chapter 4 presents three articles on specific topics of ocean energy prepared by invited experts, following an initiative of the ExCo that started in 2008. In the 2008 Annual Report, the theme was the current status of ocean energy technologies; in 2009 the theme was key technical and non-technical challenges that ocean energy faces and actions that are and could be taken to promote and accelerate deployment of ocean energy; in this report the theme is “Key facilitators for ocean energy”.