The combination of renewable energy and marine ranching in Chile

The combination of renewable energy and Marine ranching in Chile

Masatoshi FUTAGAWA / CORDUNAP

June 10, 2012

Food, water and energy are essential for human life not only to maintain the life but also for the development of the country. Industry activities depend on availability of energy that connects to economy development. Thus, countries intent to secure energy source and energy shortage had made wars in recent history.

Fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, methane hydrate) are limited or non-renewable resources and those create carbon dioxide during processing and consumption which cause of global worm phenomenon. Suppose to be nuclear electric power minimize the problem, but the technology needs more improvements as safe plant operation and treatment of radioactive waste material. Especially, Three miles island, Chrnobil and Fukushima incidents show that serious contamination occurred once accident occurred. Hence, we shift to renewable energy which has minimum contamination for nature and energy is renewable. Of course, we should utilize the energy correctly, not over use, to avoid destruction of nature.

1.    Renewable energies

Renewable energy is the energy which stays or created by nature such as  solar, wind, wave, current, tide, ocean thermal energy conversion, geothermal, biomass and biogas etc. The energy exists 20 times of world requirement presently and even it has several times in 2100 according to UNDP (Table 5.26.).

The energy reduces CO₂ emission as level of 2005 until 2050 if we introduce the energy positively according to IEA. The energy costs are reducing due to innovations and deployment day by day even the share of the energy was 16 % in 2009 according to report of REN21 in 2011.

Renewable energy is growing rapidly that increased from 6 % to 30 % of investment rate from total energy from 2006 to 2010. Though some renewable energies become commodity of investment by venture capital due to technical innovation and development. The investments activate economy and create employment.

 

The cost of renewable energy becomes competitive to fossil fuel due to technical invention and deployment until 2050. According to Energy technology perspectives 2010 by IEA (ETP2010, IEA), new version release on Jun 12, the comparison of 2010 and 2050 regarding to investment cost of biomass, hydro and wind were competitive to fossil fuel in 2010 and all renewable energies are similar cost to fossil fuel in 2050.Especially, geothermal, solar (PV and CSP) and ocean (wave, current and tide) power reduce much due to technical improvement and deployment. In case of operation and maintenance (O&M) cost, all renewable energy reduces similarly as fossil fuel until 2050 except biomass and geothermal.

 

Energy mix is important idea that combines several energy sources, like solar and gas, to avoid accident risk and constant supply. Energy sources are chosen depending on availability of resources in each area which minimize cost, transmission and nature destruction. Also, a power farm combines several small units that take advantages of constant out-put with backup system, short construction term, quick cash flow, easy maintenance and reuse or dispose. Moreover, a farm has energy reservoir for constant supply such as a water electrolyze with excess energy to create hydrogen which change to hydrocarbon or hydrazine hydrate and reuse when power shortage.

2.    Renewable energies in Chile

Availability of electric is one of the most important factors for country development and energy self-sustenance is essential for country security. Unfortunately, Chile imports natural gas from Argentine and new dam development is struggling due to argument of local people. It is not advisable to build large dam, over 10 MW, due to negative impact for nature and social communities.

According to CIA factbook, annual electric generation of Chile in 2011 was 60.6 TWh (10¹²Wh) or 218 PJ (10¹⁵J, 1kWh = 3.6 MJ) and net generation, figure out to divided by year hours (8,760 hours), was 6.9 GW (10⁹W) then efficiency of plants was 39 %  based on total installed nominal capacity, 17.7 GW in May 28, 2012 according to Central Energía.

Total installed nominal capacity consist natural gas (5.3 GW, 30 %), dam (3.8 GW, 21 %), coal (3.5 GW, 20 %), petroleum (2.3 GW, 13 %), river (2.2 GW, 12 %), biomass (0.4 GW, 2 %) and wind (0.2 GW, 1 %). Additional new plants, include under construction and plans approved, are 23.6 GW include 7.6 GW of renewable energy but majority are coal and large dams. 

 

Type	Total				Under construction				SEIA approved				SEIA under evaluation
	#	MW	MMUS$	% MW total	#	MW	MMUS$	% MW total	#	MW	MMUS$	% MW total	#	MW	MMUS$	% MW total
Hydro	67	6.468	8.882	27%	10	669	970	3%	44	4.832	6.097	20%	13	967	1.815	4%
Thermal - Coal	15	8.902	15.977	38%	3	970	1.460	4%	11	7.192	13.117	30%	1	740	1.400	3%
Thermal - Others*	9	689	454	3%	4	265	222	1%	4	174	77	1%	1	250	155	1%
Wind	42	3.824	8.033	16%	4	315	718	1%	30	2.539	5.379	11%	8	970	1.936	4%
Biomass, biogas y cogeneration	9	657	639	3%	3	172	298	1%	5	478	326	2%	1	7	15	0%
Geothermal	1	50	180	0%	0	0	0	0%	1	50	180	0%	0	0	0	0%
Solar	36	3.031	10.423	13%	0	0	0	0%	15	684	2.172	3%	21	2.347	8.251	10%
Total	179	23.621	44.587	100%	24	2.391	3.668	10%	110	15.949	27.348	68%	45	5.280	13.571	22%

Chile has several natural resources for electric generation such as huge desert with strong sunlight and mining industry at north, strong wave, wind and geothermal source at south. There is opportunity to shift energy source from fossil fuel to renewable energy which create energy independency and employment, activate economics and reduce natural contamination. Possibly, Chile shifts energy source as renewable energy 35 GW (70 %) and fossil fuel 15 GW (30 %) until 2050. Roadmap for 2050 consist prioritization of energy source, improvement of main consumer as Santiago and mining industry and stabilization of energy supply with smart grid.

Improvement of Santiago

Santiago is the capital of Chile which occupies 40 % of total population and located basin among the Andes Mountains. Air pollution is main issue for long time that was created by lot of cars and factories. For pollution by car exhaust, introduce EV and PHV with tax exception and government support as the vehicle price competitive to fossil fuel one, idle reduction, elevated highway and subway expansion to minimize traffic jam. For the factories, install CCS to reduce exhaust of CO₂ with government partial support. Additionally, introduce smart grid to increase efficiency of electric consumption. Electric vehicles has advantages which better energy conversion compare to fossil fuel, no CO2 emission and electric supply for house during blackout.

   

Wind power

Wind power is the most popular energy among the renewable energy due to well-developed confident technology and EPT (Energy payback time) is less than one year, very short compare to other energies. World wind power installed capacity was 238 GW at end of 2011which growing over 20 % annually. In fact, wind power covered 20 % of total consumption at Denmark in 2006 also 28 % at Spain. Moreover, offshore wind power, 3.16 GW capacity, was operational at Northern Europe in October 2010 and will be installed additional 16 GW before 2014. Recently, wind farm are developing at ocean, even offshore, where has stronger and constant wind, wide area and less animal contact.

     

Concentrated solar system (CCS) at desert in the north

In north of Chile, Atacama Desert has one of the strongest sunlight. Solar PV (photovoltaics) and CSP (Concentrated solar power) are major system to create electric from sunlight. Solar PV converts sunlight to electric with inorganic cells which efficiency reached to 42 % in 2010 (NREL) and O&M cost similar to fossil fuel. Thus, the system is very popular and the existing world capacity came to 40 GW in 2010 (REN21). However, the system needs battery backup to operate during the night time.

 

Concentrated solar power (CSP) focus sunlight to center tower by milers and sunlight heat stores in circulated molten salt then it create steam with exchanger and operate generator to create electric. The advantages are the heart keeps long and generate electric 24 hours and electric cost competitive fossil fuel, Renewable energy cost review (AEMO-ACIL) in 2011. But CSP need wide land with strong sunlight, ideally desert.

Projects at Australia (250 MW, CSP+) and India (250 MW) are going on with new generation CSP as Compact linear Fresnel reflector (CLFR) technology. Advantages are less investment cost, high efficiency and less land required according to Areva.

Geothermal energy in the south

Chile is part of the Pacific Rim of Fire and there are many active volcanoes which suggest high potential for geothermal power. Geothermal plant development needs years of survey and trials but once operate the plant gives constant energy without pollution. But geothermal needs control taking volume, not suck too much steam, like reduce 25 % per year at Geysers, USA. They recharge household effluents to reduction of steam. Enhanced geothermal system (EGS) invented in 80’s which create a steam artificially under closed cycle, less geological impact. Lately, binary cycle power plant was invented which generate energy with low temperature water (170  ̊C) with low boiling point material.

The research and development requires large investment cost for special skill and equipment and which Chile mining industry has even utilize old pit and reduce development cost and time possibly. Excess energy utilize for agriculture, aquaculture, recreation facilities (Blue lagoon, Iceland) and heating individual house.

Wave farm

Wave power made of wind and current which is constant compare to wind and the power.is 5 times condensed of wind power as 30 MW/Km². South of Chile has strong wave which is one of the strongest  in the world. In fact, several wave farm projects are running with Pelamis system at Scotland, UK where there is the same wave level of Chile.

Pelamis generate electric at Scotland, UK that projects run, mainly 5 to 10 Km off-shore at Scotland, since 2008. Latest version “Pelamis P2” shows 180 m long, 4 m diameter and approximately 1,350 ton of weight. The machine forms like snake and generates 750 kW which cover 500 houses. The machine should assemble near project site due to size and weight and it stalls a parallel to coast, not brake wave.

 

3.       Combination of renewable energies and marine ranching in Chile

Chile has long coast line but the shore which accesses to ocean are limited due to steep coast and strong wave. This strong wave impedes a boat alongside the coast and avoids development of aquaculture activity. I recommend Wave Aqua Farm (WAF) which combines wave farm and aqua farm. WAF consist electric generator barges, substation, fish culture cages, shelters for juvenile and adult, hatchery, processing plant, freshwater factory if a well not available, and floating pier.

The barge (2 x 12 x 4 m) consist five units of Gyro wave activated power generator * (50 kW/unit, total 250 kW/barge) by Gyrodynamics Co., Kobe University and anchors. Generated electric by movement of barge is sent by cable to substation. The barges are installed in front of beach at 50 m depth approximately, adjust the most effective depth which depend on wave and barge height, and those creates calm area between the barge and beach for the utilization of cage culture and marine ranching. Also, the barge function for FAD (Fish aggregate device) and pelagic fish gather along the barge. 

Substation consist transformers, standby generator which generate electric when the barge cannot create electric due calm condition. The station stabilizes electric to supply facilities and some unit to stall electric for power shortage.

Seawater desalination unit by flash distillation operate with generated electric if well are not available.

Hatchery produces useful fish juvenile (Yellowtail amberjack, Grape-eye seabass, red-cusk eel, Pacific beakfish and scallop) and the juvenile, except yellowtail amberjack, release to shelters for juvenile. Those fish transfer to shelter for adult after growing up then harvest depend on biomass to keep resources sustainable as usual marine ranching operation. Yellowtail amberjack are culture in cage intensively.

Processing plant operate to produce products, cleaning, cutting and packing (possibly). The excess of fish, bone, skin and intestine, are reprocessed and feed to culturing fish. 

•  Gyroscopic wave power generation system change wave power to electric, oscillate motion directory operate generator by gyro system, thus efficiency of this system is twice of air turbine system, 20 %   vs. 10 %. Additional advantages are compact, durable and easy maintenance.