Wave Site Projects
Key marine species that use the wave site include seabirds, seals, cetaceans and basking sharks in the summer months. The potential for environmental impact at the wave site spans a range of sensitive species, all of which use the site in varying ways. Further information can be found in our site description section (wave environment).
EMEC currently has the following projects underway at the wave site:
1. Wildlife Observations Programme
Monitoring the wildlife activity at Billia Croo provides valuable information about the number of species frequenting the area and the ways in which they use the site. These data can then be used by developers in assessing whether their wave energy device has any impact on wildlife.
An ex-coastguard lookout hut provides a land-based vantage point at the top of Black Craig hill overlooking the test site. Wildlife observers use a telescope affectionately known as “Big Eyes” to sweep the area and record wildlife sightings. The observers also gather lots of other important information such as wildlife behaviour, weather conditions and shipping.
The data-gathering and analysis methodology has been adapted from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Ltd methodology instigated at the EMEC tidal test site at the Fall of Warness, Eday. This project is funded by Marine Scotland.
2. Surface Interactions with Wave Devices:
High Specification Camera Observations
A high magnification camera mounted on the Black Craig observations point has the potential to inform wave energy device operators, as well as regulatory and other decision makers, about the frequency and nature of any specific interactions between surface-piercing parts of devices and wildlife. This project complements the Wildlife Observations Programme and is funded by nPower.
3. Acoustic Characterisation
The ambient underwater noise at Billia Croo comes from a wide range of sources, ranging from crashing waves and ship engines down to tiny ‘snapping’ sounds emitted from crustacea on the seabed. These all contribute to the soundscape of the ocean.
The EMEC wave test site is traversed by cetaceans, which rely on echolocation for predation and communication.
The Scottish Government has funded a project at EMEC to investigate the detectability of any acoustic output from wave energy devices operating in a high energy wave climate. An acoustic baseline survey has been carried out to characterize the ambient noise at the test site. This will facilitate assessment of wave energy device operational noise in the context of the ambient background noise at the site, and also provide a robust and repeatable methodology to enable EMEC developers to compare the output from their devices with the baseline ambient characterization. It will also facilitate a range of future studies into the effects of the acoustic output of wave devices on cetaceans, sea mammals and seabirds.
4. Inshore Crustacea Fisheries Project
Unique to Orkney, this project aims to demonstrate that the nascent wave energy industry and the local inshore fishing community can not only co-exist in sustainable harmony – but that there can be mutual benefits too.
EMEC is working with Orkney Sustainable Fisheries Ltd and Orkney Fishermen’s Association together with experts from Seafish Scotland and the International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) in this exciting project funded by the Scottish Government.
The project will support
- Hatchery rearing of 12,000 juvenile lobsters
- Creating a voluntary no-take zone at the wave test site
- Tagging of juvenile lobsters and release into the wave test site area
- Monitoring of the lobster population with participation of local fishermen in capturing, recording and releasing tagged lobsters
The project will tell us more about
- Influences of the wave test site refuge area on lobster abundance and availability to the local Orkney fishery
- Using wave energy sites as nursery grounds to augment wider lobster stocks
The project is already underway with juvenile lobsters due for release in autumn 2010.
5. Resource Assessment
EMEC continuously collects real time wave data at Billia Croo and weather parameters such as wind, precipitation and temperature from the both test sites.
During 2006 - 2007 EMEC commissioned International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) to undertake routine monthly analysis of the MetOcean data gathered at Billia Croo. The reports produced are available to developers deploying at the wave site and inform them of the site conditions, which will help in device design, assessment and deployment.
In addition to the monthly reports, data from one of the Datawell wave buoys is now available live on the EMEC website (click here for details).
6. MetOcean Research
EMEC works in cooperation with a range of higher education institutions to investigate various aspects of the MetOcean resource at our test sites. Recent outputs include papers available to download below):
High-resolution metocean modelling at EMEC's (UK) marine energy test sites
(J. Lawrence, H. Kofoed-Hansen and C. Chevalier, 2009)
Advances in Wave Resource Estimation: Measurements and Data Processing
(J Cruz, E Mackay and T Martins, 2007)
Wave climate investigation for an array of wave power devices
(V.Venugopal and G.H.Smith, 2007)
By making the data collected at EMEC available for the wider marine renewables research community, EMEC hopes that the outputs will serve the industry as a whole. An excellent example of this is the work being undertaken within SUPERGEN-Marine. Recent papers produced by SUPERGEN-Marine in which EMEC contributed are listed below:
- Norris,
J. and Bryden, I. (2007). "The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC): Facilities and Resources." Proc ICE Energy Journal, Vol 160, pp. 51-58.
- Smith
G. H., Venugopal V. and Wolfram J. (2006). "Wave period statistics
for real sea waves and wave energy extraction." Proc I Mech E, Part
M, Journal for the Maritime Environment, 220, Special Issue, 1-17.
- Smith,
G. H., Venugopal, V. and Wolfram, J. (2006). "Wave Period Group
Statistics for Real Sea Waves and Wave Energy Extraction." Proc. I Mech.
E. Part M: J. Engineering for the Maritime Environment, Vol. 220, No.3, pp.
99-115(17).
- Venugopal, V. and Smith, G.H. (2007). "The effect of wave period filtering on wave power extraction and device tuning." Ocean Engineering, 34, pp. 1120-1137.
Where issues are under investigation elsewhere (e.g. COWRIE looking into Electromagnetic Fields) EMEC is keen to avoid duplication of effort.