Coastal Seminar 2015 – Dr Matt Lewis (Bangor University)

Title: Using numerical models to characterise marine renewable energies
Abstract: Globally resilient and deployable marine energy devices need to be efficiently designed to make a meaningful contribution to low carbon energy targets and provide the UK with a high tech economy. Using a suite of oceanographic models (ROMS, SWAN, COAWST) and observations, the oceanographic conditions at potential tidal stream energy sites are investigated. The interaction between the tidal turbines, the resource and the environment are considered. The interaction between other marine renewable energy schemes (e.g. wave energy schemes and tidal lagoons) are also discussed. We conclude the challenges associated with the effect of waves need to be overcome for the tidal energy industry to be fully realised. Furthermore, lower flow tidal-turbine technologies need to be developed to produce a firm and constant electricity baseload supply to the National Grid.
Bio: Matt Lewis is an early career Sêr Cymru research fellow at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University. Matt is funded on the NRN-LCEE QUOTIENT research project examining how wave and tidal energy resources interact with one-another, over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Previously, Matt worked as a modelling technician at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research New Zealand, after which he studied for a PhD (at Bristol University and NOC-Liverpool) investigating how to downscaling climate model predictions to calculate future coastal flood risk.