Licensing and Environmental Issues of Wave Energy Projects

The major non-technical barrier for large-scale wave energy implementation is the wide range of licensing issues and potential environmental concerns, in addition to significant National/regional differences in licensing procedures and permit requirements. Whereas some pilot plants have had a special standing or facilitated access to operating licenses due to their experimental character, the move of wave energy projects towards commercial applications implies complex procedures for obtaining licenses both with respect to the construction and deployment and operation phases, as well as concerning ocean space use and environmental concerns. Despite recent efforts to streamline European EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) in general, potential project developers are far from having a clear view of present and future requirements concerning these barriers on a trans-national level. Different National settings and traditional use of ocean space, as well as different levels of advance in terms of legislation and procedural effectiveness make it extremely difficult to set out implementation strategies for ocean wave energy technologies. The paper includes a brief experience review from pilot plants and exemplary presents the ongoing permitting process of the Wave Dragon in Wales. Comments on future park-scale application issues are made based on the present situation in different countries.