Marine Energy Sources for Decarbonization of Mediterranean Regions Through Maritime Spatial Planning

Abstract

Marine energy sources, particularly offshore wind and wave energy, can be profitably exploited to generate renewable electricity in Mediterranean islands and coastal areas. Although still at an early stage of development, innovative blue energy technologies, such as floating windmills and different types of wave energy converters, have been successfully implemented by researchers and private companies in recent years. Based on data from pilot devices and basic requirements for their operativity, such as minimum wind speed and wave high or bathymetric depth, a blue energy planning framework has been developed under the scope of the Interreg Med BLUE DEAL project. This is based on a sequence of stages combining different site-specific spatial analyses regarding marine energy potentials, legal restrictions and environmental constraints, local grids and energy balance, carbon accounting, and visual impact. This planning procedure allows for identifying potential sites for the installation of blue energy plants, estimating energy production by marine sources in target regions and evaluating impacts and benefits in terms of greenhouse gas emission mitigation from the energy sector, the latter depending on values of the carbon intensity of electricity (g CO₂eq per kWh). Case studies demonstrate that blue energy can consistently contribute to the decarbonization of the energy sector in Mediterranean regions and to the energy self-sufficiency of insular and coastal communities.