Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has won an important research project to provide hydrodynamic modeling expertise as part of the Welsh Government’s Tidal Lagoon Challenge.
The Tidal Lagoon Challenge is an innovative competition to help quantify the potential benefits of tidal lagoons and reduce or remove the barriers to development in Wales. Partnering with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, Cardiff University and Western Gateway, Intertek will be undertaking an assessment to quantify the value of developing tidal range power as part of the Flexible Lagoon Operation for Maximal Value (FLOMax) research project.
Techniques for harnessing tidal range energy are long-established, but there are currently no tidal lagoon projects in existence globally. Previous studies indicate that 10 GW of installed capacity could be achieved through proposed projects, equal to approximately 5% of UK energy use. Tidal range technologies are therefore likely to be essential in helping the UK to meet its net zero targets by 2050.
The research project’s three main objectives include: (1) Modeling the flexible operation of tidal lagoons (2) Quantifying their true long-term economic value (3) Presenting a recommendation for policy support.
Intertek will model a wide range of tidal lagoon configurations to assess the power potential over their design life (~100–200 years). The outputs of the modeling will be an annual yield estimate for each scheme. This data will feed into Cardiff University’s research and ultimately help to quantify the economic value of tidal lagoons, providing an economic and financial rationale behind tidal lagoon projects, as well as other recognized evaluation methods.
Dr. Paul Evans, Principal Consultant at Intertek, commented: “We are delighted to have won this exciting and much-needed research project in such an important sector. This research aims to demonstrate the benefits of tidal lagoon development in Wales—and elsewhere—and reduce some of the uncertainties that have hindered previous projects.”
Jeremy Miles, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language, added: “Wales is extremely well placed to be at the forefront of a renewable revolution – using our natural resources, skills and expertise to become an international exemplar for emerging renewable energy technologies and, in turn, delivering a sustainable, prosperous future for our communities and economy. Intertek’s expertise and findings will be invaluable, helping to better understand the challenges, opportunities and true value of developing tidal range power in Wales.”
Intertek has many years’ of experience in marine consulting and the marine renewables industry. This includes hydrodynamic modeling, field survey management, geophysical and geotechnical assessments, metocean assessments, geographical information systems (GIS), as well as cabling engineering and environmental impact assessment.
Learn more about Intertek’s modeling services by visiting: https://www.intertek.com/energy-water/hydrodynamic-modeling/
