Yusuf Latief writes on some of the innovative technologies discussed during Sustainable Energy Islands, and how they are paving the way ahead for European islands into net zero, whether from high in the sky or submerged in the sea.
The European energy transition is for most everyone epitomised by the technologies crafted to generate clean energy. Whether solar farms or wind turbines, such tech is the first picture that comes to mind in consideration of our road to net zero.
But such technologies may not be the right fit for everyone. For islands in particular, solar and wind farms are not always feasible, if not only for the amount of space that they need to occupy. And with 2,200 islands in Europe alone, the implications of this are vast. So, what can be done?
The Sustainable Energy Islands webinars look at some of the innovative technologies that have been developed to resolve this very conundrum. Hosted by Nigel Blackaby from Enlit World, this second episode sees speakers from Trilliant, Energy Investment Management, SeaQurrent and Kitepower explain how technology going against the flow – literally – can enable European islands to keep their own as the energy transition advances at a staggering pace.
“While clean energy islands are central for the European energy transition, there are 2,200 inhabited European islands, all with access to renewable resources of energy but many of them still relying on increasingly expensive fossil fuels for their energy supply,” states Blackaby.
Also of interest:
Saipem and Siemens Energy to develop 500MW floating electrical substation
Ørsted’s Hornsea 2 enters full operation
Charlie van Dijl, investment advisor with Energy Investment Management, added how this very context alongside the challenges barring islands’ net zero pathways are the grounds for technological innovation: “There can be no tech without innovations and for islands this is a particularly relevant statement.”
Because of the challenges that islands have to tackle, including those incurred by climate change and otherwise, van Dijl states how technology and innovations are all the more important for European islands to successfully meet climate targets.
Flying high with Kitepower
For Joep Breuer, CTO of Kitepower, islands provide a significant source of opportunity and a context where their tech can thrive.
Kitepower’s technology involves leveraging a power station on the ground with a generator powered by a kite in the air flying in figures of eight; the generator converts the pulling power from the wind into electricity.
Due to its compact form, the device provides a much needed solution for the challenge of space. According to Briar, for solar generation thousands of square metres in photovoltaic (PV) panels would be required for a similar amount generated by their kites.
And while the generator of a wind turbine is “more or the less the same size” as those for the kites, Briar cites how the equipment required – pole, blades and a crane – as well as the concrete needed to keep everything upright, boils down into a complex situation for remote island areas.
In a context where islands do not have the expanse of space asked for by solar and wind farms, a kite flying in the air can thus provide an attractive alternative.
The only condition where the kite would need to stop flying prior to generating the power needed is in the case of lightning. Batteries can be added to keep the kite going during periods of low wind and as the kite typically flies faster than the wind itself, it can withstand most levels of high load.
Surfs up with TidalKites
As implied by the name, if Kitepower looks to the skies TidalKites do the reverse, harnessing energy from the sea.
The tidal kite solution is fully submerged. Ten wings are positioned perpendicular to the current and connected to a 100m tether, which is connected to a monopole where the power takeoff unit is placed. A cylinder is extracted by traction force and the generator is used to produce electricity.
Not for all islands – a certain velocity is required for generation that is not always available – TidalKites should be looked at as a “complementary technology for meeting energy demands”.
Also of interest:
Ørsted acquires first solar project in Ireland
2MW solar project provides new life for Illinois brownfield site
As explained by SeaQurrent ecologist Karin Bilo, TidalKites generate power from tidal waves and illustrate their use through a heightened level of predictability that one gains when looking at tides for energy, evening out the intermittent issues typically associated with renewable generation.
Tidal currents, she states, require less energy storage as they are predictable, reliable and known to islanders. The aim of any innovative technology should be to replace diesel and build storage to match the fluctuating demand and supply of energy. With tidal energy, annual electricity generation can be predicted and thus matched with demand.
And for Bilo, a large part of the future for developers on marine devices depends on how well ecological effects are taken into account and mitigated: “When operating in biodiverse areas we need to show how [the device] can be fitted and that we’re not affecting vulnerable habitats or species.”
The TidalKite, she states, reduces collision risk for local sea faring species as the turbine speed – 6m/s – can be easily navigated.
“We need to think about the alternative of not developing these devices and the effect of climate change on species and habitats if we don’t transition away from fossil fuels.”
To find out more about such next generation solutions for European islands, make sure to register for and watch the Next-Generation technologies for sustainable energy islands webinar, available on demand.
