An Assessment of the tidal resource of Guernsey

The tidal resource in the coastal waters of Guernsey has been well documented since the1990s. Encouraged by the untapped energy resource, the desire for power self -sufficiency and the ratification of the Kyoto protocol on the reduction of CO2 emissions; Guernsey Department of Commerce and Employment created the Guernsey Renewable Energy Commission that have published a strategy to create a marine renewable energy industry by 2020 on the island. Delft Dashboard and Delft 3D FLOW software packages were used to model the tidal regime around Guernsey, the model was validated against the Renewable Energy Atlas, Admiralty Easy Tide and Admiralty Tidal Atlas NP 294. The model output revealed that Guernsey has a semi diurnal tide with a tidal range between 5 and 9 meters. The tidal velocity has a quadrant diurnal regime, with maximum velocities at High and Low water, the velocity pattern is a result of the M4 component of the tide. The model output showed a viable resource within the Big Russel channel, with a total tidal power output of approximately 600 GWh/a. A region to the East of Sark also showed great promise with similar values to the Big Russel. Both areas have 99% generation availability and good bathymetry, favourable for current technology. Assuming the model is correct tidal power generation at these two sites could be incorporated into the base load power generation. Following on from this report it would be advised to further investigate the two regions with higher resolution models and observed and measured data with the view to immediate tidal stream power production. There are also regions to the South of the Big Russel, to the West and North West of Guernsey that may become viable with further investigation and when emerging technology reached maturity