Wave Energy And Chemical Energy Carriers

Abstract

The utilisation of wave energy to produce energy intensive chemicals, based upon the electrolysis of water to yield hydrogen, is generally consiciered to be a viable alternative to the preferred electrical generation and transmission system (1). This memorandum draws upon the work previously carried out as part of the Wave Energy Programme (2, 3, 4) and by means of simple economic arguments shows the relative costs between the two conversion and transmission schemes viz: electrical power at 50 Hz delivered to the grid and hydrogen delivered over the same distance to a chemical plant. Because of the uncertainty regarding the cost of the wave energy device and the fact that this cost would be borne by both schemes only those elements of cost relating to the production and transmission of the two energy vectors are used are used in the comparison. Since all chemicals generally regarded as energy carriers are derived from hydrogen it is considered valid to use hydrogen production costs as the comparison with the electrical transmission route to shore .