Wave Energy as a Base Load Power Resource
Unlike solar, hydro and wind energy which, due to their intermittent nature, are primarily suited to peak power supply, a number of factors contribute to making wave energy suitable for base load power supply. These include:
- the inherent reliability and predictability of wave activity;
- the fact that any variability in wave activity happens gradually and with significant warning, making issues of grid interfacing manageable; and
- the proximity of favourable wave energy sites to ultimate end users, thereby minimising transmission issues. Notably, approximately 60% of the world's population lives within 60 kilometres of a coast.
In addition, CETO can operate efficiently in swell in the 1 to 2 metre wave height range, greatly increasing the number of potential base-load sites globally. For example, much of Southern Australia receives significant wave heights in excess of 1 metre 100% of the time.
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