Exploring the possibilities for co-location of offshore aquaculture and wave energy generation, the Technical Assessment for Co-locating Offshore Aquaculture with Wave Energy Resources: Framework and Use Cases Development project is helping the aquaculture industry to move offshore.
Currently, there is limited data and information available on the use of wave energy to power offshore aquaculture operations. This project strives to better understand the possibilities for powering these operations via wave energy, with a goal of spurring co-deployment.
To work toward this goal, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a preliminary assessment of energy use for existing offshore aquaculture operations, and a spatial analysis to identify regions where environmental, regulatory, and logistical factors may support the powering of offshore aquaculture using marine renewable energy (MRE), specifically wave energy. The team also completed stakeholder interviews to inform the energy assessment and spatial analysis and to provide information about US offshore aquaculture, such as permitting experience and prospects for the future.
Key project activities in the two-phase project include:
- The development of a framework to guide the co-location of wave energy and offshore aquaculture
- The demonstration of the feasibility of an aquaculture operation powered with wave energy through two use cases based on favorable locations identified in Phase I.
For additional information about this project, please contact: Lysel Garavelli, [email protected].