WEAMWave Energy Acoustic Monitoring |
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Wave energy prototypes characterization
WEAM, Wave Energy Acoustic Monitoring, started in November 2007 with national funding of the Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia (Science and Technology Foundation) and will run over the next three years. This project is coordinated by the Wave Energy Centre with the collaboration of CINTAL - Centro de Investigação Tecnológica do Algarve (Technological Investigation Centre). The WEAM project will study and develop an underwater noise monitoring plan in order to prevent and assess the impact of possible underwater noise caused by wave energy converters, especially on marine fauna. Whilst noise generation by single Wave Energy Devices (WED) is expected to be small at an initial phase, the presence of a large number of converters in the same area (wave energy farm) working in an almost continuous way may cause eventually some environmental impact. Until now there are no acoustic environment impact studies based on real data and no experience on how such acoustic monitoring must be done. The development of a validated monitoring system, the characterization of up to three wave energy prototypes or farms of different technologies and the set-up of an acoustic monitoring plan are the expected results of the project. The results are expected to guide the development of a more environmental friendly technology and to clarify limits for the number and density of wave energy devices in a wave farm.
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General Information Funding: National - Fundação da Ciência e Tecnologia (Science and Technology Foundation) |