Investor Presentaiton
Energies 2019, 12, 3658
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promote the association of local supply chains with the global suppliers of specific equipment such as
submarine cables, electrical connectors, turbines, and generators. In Brazil, the supply chain would
consist of companies already operating in the offshore oil and gas sector. This is a very robust sector,
which will be able to meet the demands of the ocean renewable energy sector. The synergy of the
long-established offshore oil and gas sector and the new ocean renewable energy sources could represent
a crucial factor for the success of the new industry. Updated technologies must be incorporated,
especially digital ones associated with artificial intelligence, control, and robotics to provide competitive
services for inspection and maintenance, reducing the operational costs. New materials, such as the
composites associated with innovative floating structures and installation methods, can also contribute
to the competitiveness of the new sector in terms of the electricity cost. In Brazil, the large number of
hydropower plants and the complex grid system also present opportunities for the implementation of
ocean renewable energy sources. Hydropower plants could be designed as storage components of the
whole electrical system, combining a better water supply with clean and efficient power generation
throughout the country. The substitution of oil and gas-based power plants for ocean renewables would
modify the national energy matrix substantially, reinforcing sustainably oriented electricity generation.
6. Conclusions
This paper, as a preliminary approach, has presented an assessment of ocean renewable energy
resources, including wave, ocean current and thermal gradient energy, along the Brazilian coastline.
The results show considerable ocean currents, thermal gradients, and wave energy in the regions
D, C and A, respectively. A maximum annual average velocity of 1.52 m/s, which represents a
power density of approximately 500 W/m², was observed for the ocean current energy in the region
D near the equatorial margin of Brazil. However, the distance of the resource to the coastline,
between 120 and 300 km, is an obstacle to its commercialization. The total theoretical potential of wave
energy is estimated to be 91.8 GW along the coastline. The most energetic waves occur in the region
A, following by the regions C, B, and D, with average power values of 21.1, 13.8, 12.4, and 7.4 kW/m,
respectively. In the region C, the wave resource has the least temporal variability compared with
the other regions; nevertheless, the differences are small, and they decrease with an increasing water
depth. The results revealed an annual average ocean thermal gradient, between the water depths
of 20 and 1000 m, of more than 20 °C for latitudes above 27°S. A mean thermal gradient of 20 °C
between the upper layers and water depth between 500 and 700 m can be achieved throughout the
year in the regions D and C. This could facilitate the process of bringing cold water from the deep sea,
compared with the usual water depth of 1000 m.
The paper also presented an overview of the potential technologies and their statuses of
development related to ocean renewable energy sources worldwide. Although available studies
indicate different values for the global resource potential, they converge in presenting the ocean thermal
gradient as being the most energetic resource followed by waves, salinity gradients, and tides. The TRL
and the status of the current projects imply that the global interest tends toward tidal current and
wave devices.
Large-scale installations, learning-curves, and innovation are necessary to make the cost of energy
competitive with solar and onshore wind energy production. About 27% of the current projects are at
the pre-deployment phase and, optimistically, will be deployed in the open sea in the next three years.
Apart from tidal range technology, which is already close to the commercialization stage, research,
development, and demonstration projects have been led by universities and startups, mostly by
taking advantage of public financing. Nevertheless, in the last five years, large industry players and
utilities have started carrying out activities and financing in the sector. This is an important step
towards speeding up technology commercialization due to the new players' capability to execute
utility-scale projects.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.S.; Formal analysis, M.S. and D.F.; Methodology, M.S. and
D.F.; Project administration, M.S.; Resources, L.P.d.F.A.; Software, D.F.; Supervision, L.L., C.L. and S.F.E.;View entire presentation