The MARE (MARine Energy) project Assessment of energy production potential from marine waves and currents: a case study from Aegadian archipelago

The MARE (MARine Energy project), funded in the framework of PRIN PNRR, arises from the premise that the energy production from marine sources, becoming an important piece in the mosaic of renewable energies, the available resource must be well assessed, in order to demonstrate the real productive possibilities and attract investors. The activity presents the potential tools identified for the definition of a methodology capable of determining the potential of energy producibility from sea waves and marine current along the territorial waters of the Aegadian Archipelago. To assess the potential for the marine energy it is opportune to employ the most suitable methodologies for the analysis of such particularly complex system. The MARE project aims to contribute to the necessary knowledge so that the energy production from marine waves and currents may become a real resource for small islands.

The MARE project focused on two main lines:

• The collection, organization and analysis of available environmental data, with particular reference to those strictly related to the studied problem;
• The identification, on the basis of geological, geophysical and geochemical investigation of the potential for energy production of the highlighted case of study.

And includes the following types of surveys in the Aegadian Archipelago and surroundings:

-           bathymetric surveys

-           seismic microtremor investigations

-           current meter surveys

-           investigations of temperature and salinity parameters

For the following purposes:

• Assessment of Energy Production Potential from marine waves motion;
• Assessment of Energy Production Potential from marine currents.