ABSTRACT
The Andalusian Agency of Energy has identified three areas of major interest for harnessing wave energy, in their plan of “Marine Energy and Energy Resources of Andalusia”. One of these areas is located on the Atlantic coast, the bay of Cádiz and Huelva. Taking into account this initial interest, the objective of this work is to validate a model that can be used to evaluate the wave energy patterns in the bay of Cádiz. An analysis of the wave climate in the target area is performed with the SWAN model covering a whole year (2018). The performed simulation was validated using measured data taken from the Port of Authorities of Spain (Puertos del Estado). The spatial distribution of wave energy is evaluated. The resource assessment is a prerequisite for the successful exploitation of wave energy in the bay of Cádiz.
