Assessment of the Joint Development Potential of Wave and Wind Energy in the South China Sea

Yong Wan, Chenqing Fan, Yongshou Dai, Ligang Li, Weifeng Sun, Peng Zhou and Xiaojun Qu
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Yong Wan: College of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Petroleum, No. 66, Changjiangxi Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266580, China
Chenqing Fan: The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, No. 6, Xianxialing Road, Qingdao 266061, China
Yongshou Dai: College of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Petroleum, No. 66, Changjiangxi Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266580, China
Ligang Li: College of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Petroleum, No. 66, Changjiangxi Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266580, China
Weifeng Sun: College of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Petroleum, No. 66, Changjiangxi Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266580, China
Peng Zhou: College of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Petroleum, No. 66, Changjiangxi Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266580, China
Xiaojun Qu: College of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Petroleum, No. 66, Changjiangxi Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266580, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-26

Abstract: The South China Sea is a major shipping hub between the West Pacific and Indian Oceans. In this region, the demand for energy is enormous, both for residents’ daily lives and for economic development. Wave energy and wind energy are two major clean and low-cost ocean sources of renewable energy. The reasonable development and utilization of these energy sources can provide a stable energy supply for coastal cities and remote islands of China. Before wave energy and wind energy development, however, we must assess the potential of each of these sources. Based on high-resolution and high-accuracy wave field data and wind field data obtained by ERA-Interim reanalysis for the recent 38-year period from 1979–2016, the joint development potential of wave energy and wind energy was assessed in detail for offshore and nearshore areas in the South China Sea. Based on potential installed capacity, the results revealed three promising areas for the joint development of nearshore wave energy and wind energy, including the Taiwan Strait, Luzon Strait and the sea southeast of the Indo-China Peninsula. For these three dominant areas (key stations), the directionality of wave energy and wind energy propagation were good in various seasons; the dominant wave conditions and the dominant wind conditions were the same, which is advantageous for the joint development of wave and wind energy. Existing well-known wave energy converters (WECs) are not suitable for wave energy development in the areas of interest. Therefore, we must consider the distributions of wave conditions and develop more suitable WECs for these areas. The economic and environmental benefits of the joint development of wave and wind energy are high in these promising areas. The results described in this paper can provide references for the joint development of wave and wind energy in the South China Sea.

Keywords: ERA-Interim reanalysis data; South China Sea; wave and wind energy joint assessment; wave power density; wind power density (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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