Tethys Stories feature information on news, events, research, and projects relevant to wind and marine renewable energy development activities across the globe. Stories are contributed from individuals working in the field, and provide insight into advancing the energy industry in an environmentally responsible manner. If you are interested in providing content to be featured as a Tethys Story, please email dorian.overhus@pnnl.gov.
- The third annual Marine Energy Technology Symposium (METS) was held in Washington D.C., US April 27-29, 2015, in conjunction with the International Marine Renewable Energy Conference (IMREC) and the National Hydropower Association. IMREC and METS brought together scientific and engineering experts, technology developers, policy makers, and regulators from the US and beyond to focus on marine… Read More
- The European Commission’s competitive Horizon 2020 programme has awarded €1.4 million to fund the Risk-based Consenting of Offshore Renewable Energy (RiCORE) project. Comprised of a team of experts from Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France and Scotland, the eighteen month project will examine ways to accelerate and streamline the environmental requirements associated with consents for offshore wind,… Read More
- As interest has grown in developing a range of low carbon renewables, harnessing the vast energy from ocean waves has become desirable. Although few arrays of wave energy converters (WECs) have been deployed worldwide, planning for wave farms requires that we understand the maximum amount of energy that can be extracted from waves, while ensuring that environmental responsibilities are met.… Read More
- Last May, a rural village in the Picos de Europa Mountains was inundated by offshore renewable energy knowledge. As part of the annual INORE Symposium, 60 to 70 early-stage researchers from around the globe and with a variety of backgrounds descended on La Vega, Spain, (regular population of about 160), to share their knowledge, learn from others, network, have fun, and leave inspired. These next… Read More
- The beautifully scenic Cork Harbour in the south of Ireland has several geographical and historical claims to fame. It is the second largest natural harbour in the world, in the 1700s it was home to the largest butter market in the world and at the beginning of the twentieth century it was the last stopping point for the Titanic before its ill-fated trip across the Atlantic. For hundreds of… Read More
- Plans to pin offshore wind turbines to the seafloor in the Atlantic Ocean have raised questions about potential risks to commercial shipping traffic, as vessels maneuver around the installations. To address this potential risk, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) scientists have developed an assessment of navigation safety risks, with support from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (… Read More
- A recent article in Current Biology entitled Marine mammals trace anthropogenic structures at sea highlights how marine mammals may interact with offshore windfarms. As new larger scale installations become more common, research of this kind will support observations of in situ array-scale impacts of windfarms. A team of scientists, headed by Deborah Russell of the Sea Mammal Research Unit (… Read More
- As wave and tidal devices are deployed in coastal waters and estuaries in countries around the world, there is intense interest in understanding how marine mammals, sea birds, fish, and sea turtles may interact with the machines underwater. Will animals be at risk from rotating tidal turbine blades? Will they be attracted to the foundations, anchors, and devices? Will they sense the mooring… Read More
- Currently, Europe is the world-leader in offshore wind energy developments, with the first offshore wind farm installed in Denmark in 1991. Since then, offshore wind energy projects in Europe have been supplying significant amounts of power to European grids, with the United Kingdom having the largest capacity of offshore wind farms, and Denmark and Belgium ranking second and third, respectively… Read More
- Siting and permitting/consenting tidal turbines and wave energy converters is a major challenge to the marine energy industry, as many people envision harm coming to marine animals. With many marine mammals holding endangered species status, this issue can adversely impact the public acceptance of marine renewable energy. Researchers in Scotland are developing methods to examine interactions, and… Read More
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