Floating breakwaters in Maltese territorial waters could soon be used to support offshore renewable energy generation, according to a group of University of Malta researchers.

The group will be carrying out engineering analysis and computer simulations to develop “a novel floating breakwater technology that facilitates the deployment of floating wind and solar farms by attenuating sea waves in stormy conditions”.

Dubbed the FORTRESS project, the researchers will be looking into cost-effective solutions for integrating energy storage within breakwaters. The structures would not only serve to protect offshore floating wind and solar energy devices from sea waves but also regulate the power output and meet the demand of end consumers.

Unlike conventional seabed-mounted breakwaters, which are limited to shallow waters, floating breakwaters can be deployed in deep waters and further away from the coast, with minimal disturbance to the seabed habitats, the researchers said.

Since the breakwater would be floating, it would also allow currents to pass through, something which is not possible with traditional breakwaters.

“Sheltered areas created using floating breakwaters offer cost reduction opportunities for co-located renewable energy generation and storage, particularly when combined with other activities at sea, such as aquaculture.

“This solution will allow for exploiting our immense renewable energy resources offshore  and to use our marine spaces more efficiently,” university professor Tonio Sant said.

According to Sant, the team is still studying potential locations for the floating breakwaters, saying these will be further out but can be “both at the east or west”.

The professor estimates it would take four to five years for the project to materialise. On the amount of energy that can be generated within the sheltered offshore areas created by multiple breakwaters linked together, the researchers estimate that some 50 to 100 megawatts would be generated.

Sant is on the research team together with Charise Cutajar, Andrew Borg, Robert N. Farrugia and Daniel Buhagiar. The project is financed by the Energy and Water Agency under the National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water.