Wave energy potential along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The wave power potential along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia was investigated using the 31-year (1979-2009) output simulation of the NOAA WAVEWATCH III™. The result shows strong seasonal fluctuation in which the wave power during winter monsoon is much higher than other seasons. Additionally, the wave power also fluctuates inter-annually due to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It was revealed that wave power along the northern section of the coast is more energetic than the southern region, with mean annual of 4 and 2.5 kW/m, respectively. The significant difference between the two regions is due to the sheltering effects of the multiple islands. The 5% exceedance values, which represent the highest wave power, range from 8 to 15 kW/m and 1.5 to 4.2 kW/m for the northern and southern sections of the coast, respectively. It was also found that the bulk of the wave energy flux is generated by waves with significant wave height between 1 to 3 m and mean wave energy periods between 6 to 9 s. Generally, with efficient wave energy converters, the renewable wave energy can be viable to be harvested, particularly in the northern region during winter monsoon period.