Review and assessment of the German tidal energy resource

Abstract

To mitigate climate change, a transformation of the energy sector towards a low-emission power generation is necessary. Tidal energy technology has matured in recent years and has the potential to balance Europe’s future power grid. While reviews of the tidal energy resource exist for a number of European countries, along the German North Sea coast is overlooked so far. This paper closes this gap and provides a comprehensive review and assessment of the German tidal energy resource. Germany’s North Sea coast is characterised by comparatively low current velocities and shallow waters. Using available data from the EasyGSH-DB North Sea Model, Germany’s practical tidal energy resource is estimated in a range between 66.6 and 565.8 GWh y - 1 to, excluding the most energetic sites in the estuaries of Elbe, Weser, and Ems. A stakeholder questionnaire aimed at tidal energy technology developers has shown that it is considered important to further develop the technology towards the use in shallow water and under low current velocities.