Wave Energy in the Red Sea Region Perspectives and Analysis

The present study aims to find the best location for installing wave energy converters (WEC) in the NEOM area, located in the Red Sea northern region, and to determine the most suitable converter system for harvesting wave energy using available data provided by KAUST. The Red Sea region represents a challenge for wave modulization and analysis due to its two distinct and opposing wave structures induced by reverse winds that converge at its middle. By incorporating wind and wave data series from 1985 to 2015 in the Advanced Research Weather and Forecasting model and WAVEWATCH III. In the present study, the highest peak period found in the selected area is 4 seconds based on the wave hindcast generated on a 1-km resolution grid, and the highest wave found was 0.79 m. A total of 8 points were selected and analyzed to test the potential of wave energy at NEOM coastlines along the Gulf of Aqaba and NEOM Bay. Based on the results, the Gulf of Aqaba, with a mean wave power of 1.98 kW/m at P#2 is a good candidate for a WEC system. Possible installation of wave energy converters in the selected areas is discussed in this thesis, including farms of point absorbers with the integration of wave and solar sources (DEIM). Based on preliminary information regarding the NEOM region, potential environmental and social challenges were identified in this study for the viability of wave energy exploitation.

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