Investigations on wave energy characteristics in South-Western coastline of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate the wave power potential around the south-western coast of Sri Lanka and its spatio-temporal and directional distributions based on 5 years (1999 to 2003) of simulated wave data. The analysis results show that the annual mean wave power in the region is exceeding 10 kW/m while the available monthly mean wave power values are higher than 5 kW/m throughout the year. Eight study points were selected along the nearshore coastline for a detailed assessment. The calculated annual and monthly mean wave power values at the selected points showed that the south-west coast has a higher potential than the west coast except near Matara. The temporal and directional variations were also assessed in selected points using statistical indices and wave power roses, and those revealed that the region has moderately stable wave power with narrow directionality. Moreover, the possible annual electric power outputs from three wave energy converter devices (WECs) were estimated at all the study points using wave scatter diagrams and publicly available power matrices, and the results reveal that the nearshore area from Galle to Weligama is most suitable for wave energy harvesting.