Small islands are experiencing Climate Change in real time. While rising seas and temperatures threaten only parts of many larger countries, they threaten the whole of a small island—its population, its economy, in some cases even its very existence. For many small islands—including many Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—ocean energy may be their best option for switching to renewable energy. A lot of small islands don’t have enough landmass to support large wind or solar installations, but they are surrounded by ocean that can provide blue power all day, all year round.
At COP26, many wealthier nations pledged to help less wealthy nations with their energy transition. An alliance was forged between International Renewable Energy Association and the Alliance of Small Island States to accelerate that transition. The traditional approaches of deploying mature technologies such as solar and wind, however, won’t work the same on many small islands as they do in places with more landmass. Besides the scarcity of land, many islands are protective of tourists’ ocean views—which have great economic value—and could be marred by offshore installations. These are challenges that some wave and tidal technologies can overcome.
Technologies that are mostly below the surface don’t mar ocean views and may require very little land. For example, Seabased, which provides blue power from wave energy, requires only enough land for the size of a small hut. Plus ocean power is formidable. Waves are 800 times denser than wind, so they pack hundreds of times the power. And waves work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so they’re easy to integrate on the grid.
Small islands may play a key role in the green transition
For some places, wading into the less tested waters of ocean energy may seem risky; for small islands, though, it’s an approach that means safety. One thing all islands have in abundance is ocean. Many of these islands have excellent wave energy resources and many also have tidal and ocean thermal resources. SIDS including Barbados, St. Lucia, Tonga, Trinidad, and Capo Verde, for example, have the kind of wave climate that could make wave energy a substantial contributor to the baseload. Though other factors must be explored to know whether they are good candidates for wave energy, if it turns out that wave energy is an option these islands would be turning to a resource that will never be depleted and is, in many places, highly stable. That means safety for their lives and economies for decades to come.
The SIDS are recognizing that their future is in their hands. The island of Barbados, for example, has recently invested $60 million in renewable energy projects and has committed another $90 million for the next several years.
Bermuda, another small island, may go down in history as a leader who brought the third vertical in renewables—ocean energy—to the rest of the world. Bermuda just announced that it is moving forward on what is likely to be the world’s first wave energy park. Bermuda’s Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Walter Roban, MP, JP said “We have the opportunity to show that we are serious about this transition…. We are making a sincere effort, as a small island jurisdiction, to adapt.”
Every island Has a HOME-hybrid optimal mix of energy
Renewable energy isn’t one size fits all, and it doesn’t need to be. Every place in the world has a unique mix of natural resources—sun, wind, wave, tide, ocean thermal power—that could provide various amounts of clean energy. We call this HOME, Hybrid Optimal Mix of Energy. All available sources can be used together, just as nature does. The point is to have the technologies in place to convert that power of nature into electricity for people, without further harming the Earth. Wind and solar energy have transformed the world’s idea of power, but after decades of development, they only bring about 10% of the power on the world’s grids. They can produce a lot of power when they are producing, but they also stop, leaving grids scrambling for expensive batteries or fossil fuels.
The ocean, however, covers 70% of the surface of the earth and waves never stop. Together with wind and sun, they can produce a substantial baseload.
None of the small islands or SIDS can, alone, change the trajectory of Climate Change. They alone can’t stop the seas from rising or prevent the catastrophic weather changes wrought by changing global temperatures. By embracing ocean energy, however, they can help the rest of the world see how potent, reliable, and essential electricity from the power of the seas is. Hopefully, that will make it clear it’s time to back ocean energy around the world.