Resource mapping is a key element in the planning and consequent deployment of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) converters. A proper characterization of the environmental forcing enables the optimization of energy extraction and a more accurate assessment of the structural loading. This contributes to improving reliability and extending the operational life of devices at a given extraction site. Providing an accurate characterisation of the environmental loading is subjected to the availability and quality of relevant datasets, which are either obtained from measurements, in-situ or via remote sensing, or from numerical models. Then, the adequate use of these datasets relies on the analysis’ tools and selected methods which allow an appropriate description of the underlying physics.
This paper presents the high-resolution wave hindcast database extending across European waters and developed to be the reference dataset of the ResourceCODE Marine Data Toolbox, designed to provide a full suite of tools to support ocean energy analytics.