Feasibility Study of Wave Power in Ghana

Abstract

In this research, the evaluation of Ghana’s wave energy potential was presented based on the ERA5 monthly averaged data on single levels from 1979 to 2020 from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF). The data obtained which was the Significant Wave Height and Wave Period were used to calculate the Average Wave Power and Energy. The total wave power crossing the three divisions of Ghana’s coastline has been calculated to be 7215 MW. The calculated wave energy available was compared to the Annual Energy Demand of Ghana. The calculated value gives a clear picture that wave energy can be another renewable energy source in Ghana. This was done relying on data from a third-generation spectral wave model to simulate the wave conditions which were used to analyse the potential of the wave-generated energy of the selected coastal areas in Ghana.