In the 1950s, the then-Director of the state-owned utility company, the Central Electricity Board, A.N Bott, thought of harnessing ocean energy in Mauritius. His idea was to build a dam anchored on the reef in Riambel to control the flow of seawater. The dam would run on low-head turbines to generate electricity to be transmitted to the shore.
His idea did not materialize as construction on the reefs was challenging and frequent cyclones affected the project. With the emergence of new ocean-based energy technologies like the CETO, AWS-III, and the Pelamis, Mauritius is positioning itself to lead a marine-driven energy transition in the African continent and among islanded communities.
The Renewable Energy Roadmap 2030 for the Electricity Sector seeks to achieve 60% electricity production by 2025 through the use of different sources of renewable energy. Offshore wind, wave energy and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) are the marine options of interest for power generation.
Local potential
Although location-specific wave resource assessments are needed, few studies point to the region's wave potential. In their study in the Western Indian Ocean, Hammar et al. found a wave power density of 20-40 kW/m for Mauritius. Another study by Gunn and Stock-Williams found a wave power density of 20-30 kW/m for Mauritius from a global wave energy atlas they developed. On average, 15-25 kW/m wave power densities are needed to deploy existing wave technologies.
Wave energy resource assessments for other islands sharing similar topological characteristics to Mauritius have also shown technical potential within this range. Beatty et al. showed a power density of 26 kW/m which can cover 9% of the electricity demand in St Georges Island, Alaska. Studies in Madeira Islands, Sardinia (Italy), Canary Islands, and La Palma (Spain) showed wave power density between 10 kW/m to 25 kW/m.
Wave energy resource assessments for other islands sharing similar topological characteristics to Mauritius have also shown technical potential within this range. Beatty et al. showed a power density of 26 kW/m which can cover 9% of the electricity demand in St Georges Island, Alaska. Studies in Madeira Islands, Sardinia (Italy), Canary Islands, and La Palma (Spain) showed wave power density between 10 kW/m to 25 kW/m.
Pilot projects
These studies have triggered interest within the scientific community to study wave energy in Mauritius. In November 2015, the Mauritian government with technical and financial help from the Australian government and in partnership with the Australian wave energy leader, Carnegie Clean Energy started data collection in Surinam to evaluate wave energy potential.
Carnegie’s CETO wave turbine was deployed, and after a year's completion of the pilot project, a detailed wave energy integrated hybrid powerplant design with solar PV, battery systems, and intelligent controls was presented.
Carnegie seeks to test newer turbines like the CETO 6 and design a more innovative hybrid powerplant with solar and wave energy, battery systems, and a desalination plant clustered together. However, the status of these projects is unknown at this stage.
In the meantime, the Mauritius Oceanographic Institute (MOI) in collaboration with the University of Mauritius (UoM) has designed a new wave energy prototype based on an oscillating water column (OWC) system (patent pending) at low cost and with local workforce.
In 2021, Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd announced that the Japanese company is facilitating wave power research in Mauritius with UK-based Bombora Wave Power Pty Ltd through subsidy programs and thus contributing to the environmental strategy of the country.
In 2021, Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd announced that the Japanese company is facilitating wave power research in Mauritius with UK-based Bombora Wave Power Pty Ltd through subsidy programs and thus contributing to the environmental strategy of the country.
Barriers to development
It is essential to look at all aspects that can obstruct or contribute to the successful development of energy projects in terms of factors like resource availability, technological robustness, economic feasibility, social implications, and environmental sustainability.
The absence of resource assessments to identify the potential of wave energy around Mauritius and how much can be exploited can undervalue the resource and limit its contribution and role within Mauritius sustainable energy transition initiatives. Resource estimation enables relevant stakeholders to understand where the best resources are and give more confidence to project developers and investors.
As it is now, wave energy technologies are costly to implement. The current pilot project by the MOI and UoM gives hope that cheaper turbines can be produced locally but existing proposed wave turbines are at pre-commercialization stages and are costly. The Electric Power Research Institute shows an investment of US$ 5750 /kW for the Pelamis in San Francisco. The unit cost of electricity will be around US$ 0.09. Other researchers show investment costs of around US$ 935 /kW to US$ 4155 /kW for different types of wave turbines with costs of electricity around US$ 0.09 to US$ 0.38 per kWh in Canada - all indicative of the high cost of technology. Costs of wave turbines are generally decreasing but it is uncertain whether smaller countries like Mauritius will still afford the technology, and if so, when.
Potential conflicts with fishermen should also not be understated. Lack of access and displacement from traditional fishing grounds can lead to a decline in overall revenue which might trigger conflicts and opposition from fishermen to wave energy projects. Underwater noise that originates from electromagnetic fields from wave turbines can interact with dolphins and other marine species making it difficult for them to communicate, locate food and find predators. This will make them scarcer in particular regions and will affect the fishing sector with ripples in the tourism industry - both two major pillars of the Mauritian economy.
There is also little known about the interaction between the marine ecosystem and wave energy devices. Environmental and ecological impacts include collision risks of marine animals with devices, suppression of the marine environment due to bio-fouling and gravity foundation among other challenges are understudied in the Mauritian context and might trigger conflicts from environmental groups.
The absence of resource assessments to identify the potential of wave energy around Mauritius and how much can be exploited can undervalue the resource and limit its contribution and role within Mauritius sustainable energy transition initiatives. Resource estimation enables relevant stakeholders to understand where the best resources are and give more confidence to project developers and investors.
As it is now, wave energy technologies are costly to implement. The current pilot project by the MOI and UoM gives hope that cheaper turbines can be produced locally but existing proposed wave turbines are at pre-commercialization stages and are costly. The Electric Power Research Institute shows an investment of US$ 5750 /kW for the Pelamis in San Francisco. The unit cost of electricity will be around US$ 0.09. Other researchers show investment costs of around US$ 935 /kW to US$ 4155 /kW for different types of wave turbines with costs of electricity around US$ 0.09 to US$ 0.38 per kWh in Canada - all indicative of the high cost of technology. Costs of wave turbines are generally decreasing but it is uncertain whether smaller countries like Mauritius will still afford the technology, and if so, when.
Potential conflicts with fishermen should also not be understated. Lack of access and displacement from traditional fishing grounds can lead to a decline in overall revenue which might trigger conflicts and opposition from fishermen to wave energy projects. Underwater noise that originates from electromagnetic fields from wave turbines can interact with dolphins and other marine species making it difficult for them to communicate, locate food and find predators. This will make them scarcer in particular regions and will affect the fishing sector with ripples in the tourism industry - both two major pillars of the Mauritian economy.
There is also little known about the interaction between the marine ecosystem and wave energy devices. Environmental and ecological impacts include collision risks of marine animals with devices, suppression of the marine environment due to bio-fouling and gravity foundation among other challenges are understudied in the Mauritian context and might trigger conflicts from environmental groups.
Wave energy future in Mauritius
Wave energy is the energy of the future and its contribution to meeting global energy demand should not be underestimated. It holds a prominent future in Mauritius. There are some issues and challenges that need to be addressed but these are surmountable difficulties with the concerted efforts of all the stakeholders involved.
The country also benefits from large nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone which leaders are eager to exploit and such project can be a great stepping stone to exploring the blue economy further. Last, wave energy can position the country as a leader among other African countries and Small Island Developing States where efforts to develop wave and other marine-based renewable sources of energy are scarce.
The country also benefits from large nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone which leaders are eager to exploit and such project can be a great stepping stone to exploring the blue economy further. Last, wave energy can position the country as a leader among other African countries and Small Island Developing States where efforts to develop wave and other marine-based renewable sources of energy are scarce.
📖
If you have any comments, questions or want to have a conversation on this topic, please email Pravesh Raghoo on [email protected].
