Weather Window Analysis for the Deployment, Operation, and Maintenance of Marine Renewable Energy Devices in Irish Coastal Waters

Abstract

This study presents a detailed analysis of weather window accessibility for marine renewable energy (MRE) sites along Ireland's coast, utilizing a robust 12-year met-ocean dataset. The research focuses on key test sites - the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS), the Galway Bay Test Site (GBTS), and the Westwave Demonstration Site - and expands to a broader spatial analysis of Irish coastal waters. By integrating significant wave height and wind data, the study evaluates site accessibility, emphasizing the paramount role of wave height in determining access. Findings reveal substantial spatial variability in accessibility, with high-resource areas like AMETS facing greater access challenges due to harsher conditions, as opposed to the more accessible GBTS. The study underscores the need for a nuanced, region-specific approach to MRE development in Ireland, highlighting how strategic planning and technological advancements are crucial in exploiting the country's significant MRE potential. The results also stress the importance of long-term data for accurate environmental variability assessment, offering vital insights for future MRE site viability and strategy development.