Introduction

The main aims of this report were to research wave power and then produce a
feasibility report that could be presented to the small town of 5000 households,
that the project would affect. In this report we will look at what wave power is,
the technology used and the social and environmental impact it can have. We
will then present our recommendations for what action the town should take with
this project.

Technology
Oscillating Water Column is a partially submerged, hollow structure. It is open to
the sea below the water line, enclosing a column of air on top of a column of
water. Waves cause the water column to rise and fall, which in turn compresses
and decompresses the air column. This trapped air is allowed to flow to and from
the atmosphere via a turbine, which usually has the ability to rotate regardless of
the direction of the airflow. The rotation of the turbine is used to generate
electricity.

Location
These power plants can be placed in 1 of 4 locations. Shore line, Near-shore,
Breakwater or Off-shore.
Shore line devices are found right on the edge of the land. Depending on the size
and volumes of the waves, these power plants can produce anything from a few
hundred kilowatts up to a few megawatts of power.
Near-shore devices are placed a couple of hundred meters away from the coast
in approximately 10-25 meter deep water. They are connected to the mainland
via a dam. Depending on the wave size and the size of the plant itself, it can
produce between 10-100 megawatts of power. Such power plants can already be
operated economically due to the UKs feed-in tariffs. These power plants can
also be used as docks for small ships and boats.
Breakwater power plants are between Shore Line and Near-shore. This system
integrates the power plant with a new build coastal structure, such as a harbour
breakwater or coastal protection project. This can significantly reduce the costs
of building each structure separately. Depending on the location, more than 10
MW can be achieved by these power plants.
Off-shore devices are situated in deep water, about 40 meters deep. These
systems are usually the most difficult to build and most expensive too. However,
the bigger waves found further from the shore can give higher power output.