Wave energy potential along the western Portuguese coast

Offshore wave direction combine to shoreline orientation proved to be determinant on the evaluation of the wave energy resource in each section, since sectors of the shoreline directly facing the offshore annual average wave direction have limited reduction in available wave energy as compare to offshore values. Independently of the wave energy measured criteria used, the analysis suggests that the sector from Peniche to Nazaré is the more suitable location for nearshore wave energy exploitation, with annual wave energy around 200 MWh m−1, closely followed by the adjacent sector from Nazaré to Figueira da Foz.