Development of a nearshore sea-state database off Réunion Island for wave energy resource assessment

Abstract: A sea-state database of the Réunion Island waters has been realised, with a focus on the S-SW area of the island. It has been implemented by hindcasting wave conditions over a period of 20 full years (1989 to 2008). The simulations of wave conditions are carried out with the third-generation spectral wave
modelling software TOMAWAC.

Two nested numerical models have been set up and calibrated:

• a regional model, which includes the whole of Réunion Island, and
   
• a local one, which zooms in the area off Saint Pierre, on the S-SW of Réunion.

Wind fields and wave data from the ERA-Interim reanalysis of the European Centre for Mediumrange Weather Forecast (ECMWF) have been taken to force the models and run the hindcast simulations. The two models have been calibrated and validated with reference to the wave measurements of a non-directional buoy located off Saint Pierre harbour.

The first part of this paper illustrates the methodology followed to implement, calibrate and validate the model. In the second part of the paper, the simulation results are used to characterise the wave climate and the wave energy resource on both an annual and a monthly basis.