Exploring Turkey's Wave Energy Potential in the Seas
Turkey has the potential to utilize wave energy as a renewable energy source, according to recent reports. As a peninsula country surrounded by seas on three sides, Turkey has a great opportunity to diversify its energy resources by harnessing wave energy. Scientists and researchers at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) have been working on increasing the efficiency of wave energy by developing new models. According to Prof. Dr. Abdüsselam Altunkaynak, the biggest challenge in using wave energy is the low efficiency in converting wave power into electrical energy, with a rate of only 10%. However, Altunkaynak and his team of doctoral students have increased the efficiency of wave energy by 30%, and they aim to increase it further. Murat Baris Mandev, an ITU PhD student, is working on increasing the efficiency of the oscillating water column type wave receiving structures as the most efficient option currently available.
The study is carried out in the laboratory of Istanbul Technical University with a panel measuring thirty meters long and one meter wide. The structure contains sixty centimeters of water with a wave receiving component. The energy produced is made possible through the use of air movement inside the building with the waves that are sent through. The researchers hope to develop the current model further and place it on the shores of Turkey to meet the energy needs of coastal towns.
Many countries surround themselves with seas and are currently using and developing wave energy as an alternative to diversify their resources. Therefore, Turkey has to make the most out of its energy resources through the efficient utilization of wave energy. It will also help to reduce the country's carbon footprint and support their commitments to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
