LAPSE:2023.29578
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.29578
Breaking-Down and Parameterising Wave Energy Converter Costs Using the CapEx and Similitude Methods
April 13, 2023
Wave energy converters (WECs) can play a significant role in the transition towards a more renewable-based energy mix as stable and unlimited energy resources. Financial analysis of these projects requires WECs cost and WEC capital expenditure (CapEx) information. However, (i) cost information is often limited due to confidentiality and (ii) the wave energy field lacks flexible methods for cost breakdown and parameterisation, whereas they are needed for rapid and optimised WEC configuration and worldwide site pairing. This study takes advantage of the information provided by Wavepiston to compare different costing methods. The work assesses the Froude-Law-similarities-based “Similitude method” for cost-scaling and introduces the more flexible and generic “CapEx method” divided into three steps: (1) distinguishing WEC’s elements from the wave energy farm (WEF)’s; (2) defining the parameters characterising the WECs, WEFs, and site locations; and (3) estimating elements that affect WEC and WEF elements’ cost and translate them into factors using the parameters defined in step (2). After validation from Wavepiston manual estimations, the CapEx method showed that the factors could represent up to 30% of the cost. The Similitude method provided slight cost-overestimations compared to the CapEx method for low WEC up-scaling, increasing exponentially with the scaling.
Keywords
CapEx method, capital expenditure (CapEx), cost breakdown and parameterisation, cost model, Froude law similarities, Similitude method, Technoeconomic Analysis, wave energy converter (WEC)
Suggested Citation
Choupin O, Henriksen M, Etemad-Shahidi A, Tomlinson R. Breaking-Down and Parameterising Wave Energy Converter Costs Using the CapEx and Similitude Methods. (2023). LAPSE:2023.29578
Author Affiliations
Choupin O: School of Engineering and Built Environment, and Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia [ORCID]
Henriksen M: Wavepiston, Helsingør, 3000 Hovedstaden, Denmark [ORCID]
Etemad-Shahidi A: School of Engineering and Built Environment, and Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia; School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia [ORCID]
Tomlinson R: School of Engineering and Built Environment, and Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia [ORCID]
Journal Name
Energies
Volume
14
Issue
4
First Page
902
Year
2021
Publication Date
2021-02-09
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
Version Comments
Original Submission
Other Meta
PII: en14040902, Publication Type: Journal Article
Record Map
Published Article

LAPSE:2023.29578
This Record
External Link

doi:10.3390/en14040902
Publisher Version
Download
Files
[Download 1v1.pdf] (3.2 MB)
Apr 13, 2023
Main Article
License
CC BY 4.0
Meta
Record Statistics
Record Views
99
Version History
[v1] (Original Submission)
Apr 13, 2023
 
Verified by curator on
Apr 13, 2023
This Version Number
v1
Citations
Most Recent
This Version
URL Here
https://psecommunity.org/LAPSE:2023.29578
 
Original Submitter
Auto Uploader for LAPSE
Links to Related Works
Directly Related to This Work
Publisher Version