Evaluating the Potential of Seabased's Wave Power Technology in New Zealand

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to provide Seabased Industry AB with a decision basis forentering the New Zealand market. With the moderate wave climate around theSwedish coast, the main market for Seabased’s technology is on the internationalmarket.The physical conditions in New Zealand are suitable for Seabased’s technology interms of wave climate, bathymetry and seafloor types. There is an abundance of waveenergy all around the country’s coasts with a large variety of wave climates.Within about 15 km of the shoreline on the west coast, with a few exceptions, themean annual power resource is at least 30 kW per metre wave front. The mostenergetic locations can be found along the Southland coast, where the mean annualresource per meter wave front is around 50 kW.The electrical distribution system has a layout with a high capacity national grid, whichruns along the middle of the country, and outlying weaker grids reaching the coasts.This might prove disadvantageous at times since the grid might have to bestrengthened in order to receive large amounts of power at the fringe.The weaker grids at the coast may however also prove to be an advantage, since thisopens up for a secondary market. At points where the demand at times surpass thelines capacity many line companies are looking into the possibility of strengthening thegrid locally by installing diesel generators. As these locations mostly are around thecoasts this may prove a good secondary market for Seabased.The wholesale electricity price is today around 400 SEK (80 NZD)/MWh and isforecasted to stay there for the next few years and then increase to 500 SEK (100NZD)/MWh by around 2018. This is mostly due to an end of available geothermalresources. There are no subsidies to any power generation in New Zealand.To build a wave power park one needs resource consent. It may prove easier to firstreceive this for a smaller instalment, and the knowledge gained in this process willthen help in receiving consent for a full scale park. A national goal exists of increasingthe amount of renewable electrical generation from 73% today to 90% by 2025.Work is ongoing to make it easier to receive resource consent for marine energyinstalments.The conclusion is that the market is expected to be ready for full approach bySeabased Industry AB within five years, and would then be a very suitable market. It ishowever considered to exist opportunities to approach the market already today forsmaller instalments to build a local knowledge base which may prove useful when afull approach is made.