How offshore renewables can support energy security and access

Energy equity involves ensuring that economically underprivileged and remote regions with unmet energy demands have control over and benefit from economic and technological breakthroughs, including renewable energy

Alternative energy sources, such as Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE), could support energy resilience, energy diversification and energy access for vulnerable populations. 

This is according to a new study that seeks to understand the potential for ocean and coastal renewable energy to contribute to local energy needs.

The study indicates that offshore and coastal renewable energy can contribute to energy sovereignty, reduce carbon emissions and assist other sectors of a blue economy. 

However, the study notes that current development focuses on large-scale plants to offset emissions and achieve targets, not on providing energy access where it can deliver community benefits and support equity goals. 

“In contrast, most current investment in offshore and coastal renewable energy, to date, mainly offshore wind sites, is in highly developed regions. 

“Redirecting support to areas in need of electricity requires national and international financial institutions to shift from profit-driven renewable energy developments in highly developed and energy-rich nations and towards equity-focused development,” the study said.

Closing energy gaps means ensuring coastal and remote communities benefit from renewables

The study states that aligning development processes with energy equity involves ensuring that economically underprivileged and remote regions with unmet energy demands have control over and benefit from economic and technological breakthroughs, including renewable energy.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), some of the key trends seen in offshore REs are:

• IRENA foresees a promising outlook for offshore and floating wind systems, growing almost from 34GW in 2020 to around 380GW in 2030.
• On ocean energy, from a current global installed capacity of 0.5GW, IRENA has identified a project pipeline across the globe adding up to close 4GW of planned additional installed capacity.
• Floating PV is an emerging technology following rapid growth, with around 2.6GW installed in 2020.

Offshore renewables could reshape Africa’s future power mix

In a study assessing the potential of offshore renewable energy in Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB) stated that the outlook for utilising offshore renewables is most promising for African small island states, where land is scarce and imported fuels are expensive.

In the longer term, the development bank said, several offshore renewables may become important contributors to the overall energy mix of African power pools, as well as producers for small grids at remote locations. 

Zooming into different regions in Africa, the AfDB stated that:

• Eastern Africa offers a significant and diverse offshore renewables potential, including offshore wind power, wave power, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), marine Floating Photovoltaics (FPV) and ocean current power. The Indian Ocean island states provide ideal circumstances for renewable offshore technology, and Somalia‘s lengthy coastline offers significant energy prospects in the future.
• Southern Africa is surrounded by dynamic seas that have great potential for offshore wind and wave power, as well as ocean current power. Mozambique appears to have conditions for all explored energy types, with some promise for OTEC and wave power. Namibia and Angola also provide promising opportunities. 
• Central African countries have a lower potential for offshore renewables, but several of the examined technologies can be successfully employed to capture freshwater energy resources on rivers and lakes, which could be an intriguing area to research.
• Western Africa has favourable conditions for both offshore wind and wave power. Far offshore, on the continental shelf, circumstances are ideal for floating OTEC, although because of the distances to shore, this possibility may be more essential for future energy carrier creation than grid connectivity.
• Northern Africa, surrounded by the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, has little wave and tidal power potential.  However, strong winds create the potential for offshore wind power throughout the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Red Sea coasts. 

The AfDB stated that the development of offshore capacity holds the key to offshore renewables.  However, it warned that the sea is a challenging environment for any moored equipment, and most of the technologies analysed are still at the pre-commercial stage. 

“But the resources are there, ready to become part of a prospering ‘Blue Economy’ when circumstances are right. Since the African continent is blessed with renewable energy of many sorts, the suitability of offshore technologies will always be a compromise determined by the local availability of land-based, less challenging alternatives.”

Cover photo:  pitinan©123rf