Wave energy potential confirmed

Wave energy potential confirmed

Carnegie Wave Energy’s first CETO 5 unit – technology that converts ocean swell into zero-emission renewable power and desalinated freshwater – has been successfully installed and is now
in operation.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the Perth Wave Energy Project is of major significance for renewable energy in Australia, and demonstrates wave energy generation has real potential as part of the country’s energy mix.

“CETO is a prime example of how, with the right government support, a technology can progress along the innovation chain towards commercialisation. It is also evidence that developing and commercialising new technologies takes considerable time, resources and financing,” he said.

“The technology has been progressively scaled up over the past decade and has made strides towards becoming a competitive renewable energy solution.”

The installation of the CETO 5 unit in late November was the culmination of three years of design, financing, development and construction work by Carnegie and its stakeholders. ARENA has worked alongside Carnegie for the past two-and-a-half years.

“In March [2014] we congratulated Carnegie on successfully installing the project’s subsea pipeline, in April we unveiled the completed CETO 5 units and we will soon see units 2 and 3 installed,” Mr Frischknecht said.

“In an Australian first for wave power the three units will be connected to Western Australia’s power grid, the South West Interconnected System, following successful testing.”

Carnegie is already collecting important data from the first CETO 5 unit that will inform the development of the next generation CETO 6 project. This data and the lessons learned throughout the project are being shared with the renewable energy industry to help reduce the hurdles facing other wave energy projects.

The Perth Wave Energy Project will provide clean, renewable energy and potable desalinated water to Australia’s largest naval base, HMAS Stirling, on Garden Island in Western Australia.

The project is scheduled for completion next year.

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