Tidal Research Center Framework. Svelvik TRC Project

Abstract

In order to achieve sustainable future, humanity needs renewable sources of energy. Tidal energy has the potential to complement wind and solar in renewable mix. Several ways exist to extract tidal energy. One of them is to use tidal in-stream energy converters. This requires building a research center. Construction and operation of tidal research center demands collaboration of numerous parties. Environmental surveys define the impact on the nature from almost every activity that takes place at research center. Prior to the construction preliminary research should be done. The focus areas will depend on the location of potential tidal center. In the case of Svelvik tidal research center one of the main focus areas is vessel traffic due to the confinement of the Drammensfjorden. This research found that 8 areas around Svelvik are potentially available with little or no interactions with shipping lanes. They can be considered for further assessment