Hybrid offshore wave energy platform.

Abstract

Ocean waves are the greatest unexploited renewable energy resource which would reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. It can be harnessed throughout the year using a hybrid offshore platform. In this paper, hybrid offshore wave energy platform and its working principle, is explained explicitly. These devices when use independently are found to be not very efficient in terms of generating energy in a given time when compared to the resources used in establishing them. This in turn discourages the investments which can be made in them. This paper addresses the above issue and provides a solution with the use of hybrid offshore platforms as a step towards exploiting open seawater in a sustainable way to generate energy in a much more efficient way. Combining multiple renewable energy devices in such a manner could potentially offer stable electricity production, despite seasonal changes. The hybrid offshore platforms are conceptual and are undergoing R&D or are in the pre-commercial prototype and demonstration stage. This paper aims to discuss about one such innovative design for a hybrid offshore platform and assess the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of constructing such a platform.