Wave Energy Potential of the Coast of El Hierro Island for the Exploitation of a Wave Energy Converter (WEC)

In this paper, we studied the territorial, technical, and economic conditions for potential installation of a wave energy converter plant (WEC) connected to small power grid island El Hierro (Canary Islands). To define best location, non-directional gross at selected points was computed from long series data deep-water waves, propagated up coast using coefficients refraction shoaling calculated bathymetry island. The study concludes that location is northeastern “Llanos Blancos”, where oscillating water column (OWC) used as reference 265.40 MWh/m per year. methodology proposed in work uses light computing means affordable easily extrapolated by industry practitioners other regions, particularly oceanic insular regions subject waves potentially any direction.