Albany wave energy farm 18 months away Tayler Neale Friday, 9...

Albany wave energy farm 18 months away

Tayler Neale
Friday, 9 June 2017 2:48PM

A wave energy farm could be up and running in Albany in 18 months. Picture: Albany Aerial ImagingPicture: Albany Aerial Imaging
A proposal to install a wave energy farm in Albany could be up and running within 18 months, according to Minister for Regional Development Alannah MacTiernan.
The Labor government pledged $19.5 million to develop infrastructure associated with the renewable energy project in the lead up to the March election.
Ms MacTiernan met with energy industry stakeholders and representatives from UWA to begin the planning process for the Wave Energy Centre of Excellence.
“We’re pretty optimistic that in 18 months we’ll have something on the ground,” Ms MacTiernan said.
“We’re full steam ahead… We’re pretty impatient to get it up and running and so over the next couple of months we’ll have a clearer idea of time frames.
“We are committed to transforming Albany into a renewable energy city; today’s meeting will get that process under way.”
Ms MacTiernan indicated the installation of common user infrastructure would be a priority.
“Obviously a significant part of it will be building some common user infrastructure; we’re wanting to support a further trial of new technology and then we have to look out we help UWA fund the research that needs to go with that,” she said
“We have great hopes that we can be world leaders in this technology and that we can make Albany and the Great Southern a true hub of renewable energy.”

Carnegie Clean Energy will headline the wave energy farm and development officer Tim Sawyer said the project had been in the pipeline for nearly a decade.
“We’ve been working on an Albany wave project for the best part of ten years,” he said
“It’s very exciting that the government has made a commitment to wave energy and the centre of excellence in Albany and we look forward to developing a wave energy industry in WA focussed firmly on Albany.”