New wave for Albany electricity KEN MATTS 7/08/2008 12:46:00 PM WAVE energy could form the next stage in plans for Albany to be a green-powered city. Perth-based Carnegie Corporation Limited has received an exclusive licence and option from the State Government to lease a site off Sand Patch to investigate and develop a commercial wave-energy farm.
Carnegie managing director Dr Mike Ottaviano said it gave the company the chance to take desktop plans directly into the water to test the feasibility of its CETO wave energy technology.
“Now we’ve basically got the security of tenure at Albany to push our desktop feasibility. It allows us to get wet,” he said.
“We can go into the water in Albany and start deploying a couple of test buoys.”
The tests involve environmental surveys and installation of a ‘wave-rider buoy’ to measure height and direction for the next 12 months to quantify the energy resource.
“We want to make sure the Albany community wants us there and that everyone understands what we will be doing over the next few years,” Dr Ottaviano said.
Once testing is completed and the site is proved suitable, Carnegie would proceed with its planned 50Mw zero-emission wave-energy facility which it claimed could provide power for 15,000 homes.
Carnegie Corporation has developed a fully-submerged unit which converts wave energy into baseload zero-emission electricity.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said it was an exciting development for Albany which the State Government was keen to see progress.
“Wave energy will play an important role in the mix of renewable energy sources in the Great Southern and South West, where there’s a reliable, consistent swell,” she said.
“Alongside the existing wind farm, and with the potential for a carbon-neutral biomass power station, Albany may well be on the doorstep of becoming the first city in Australia, if not the world, to be more than 100 per cent self-sufficient in green energy.”
Albany Chamber of Commerce CEO Graham Harvey said Albany had the potential to attract further investment in renewable energy.
“There is the potential for Albany to become a world centre for renewable energy excellence and development,” he said.
“We would encourage both local and State Governments to make more commitments to renewables.”
He said the ACCI was working with Edith Cowan University in a Green Advantage workshop to be held today to provide solutions for small business for recycling, energy efficiency and waste-water practices.
“We would encourage the City, from a Council level, to have a strong commitment to be a city that is self-sustainable, energy-wise, as early as possible,” he said.
“We are happy with Council to establish those goals for the future.”
The five-year licence granted to Carnegie takes in more than 30,000ha of coast from the Albany Wind Farm to West Cape Howe.
Dr Ottaviano said Albany remained one of a number of sites around Australia the clean-tech and wave-energy developer was considering for the world’s first CETO wave-energy farm.
The company is continuing to develop the CETO technology and has the exclusive rights to own and operate all commercial CETO wave farms in the southern hemisphere.
Carnegie Corporation says the CETO system distinguished itself from other wave-energy devices by operating out of sight.
Under the CETO model, an array of submerged buoys are tethered to seabed pump units. Wave energy drives the pumps which deliver high-pressure seawater to hydro-turbines.
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