Ten Reasons why Carnegie is a “buy”
1. Wave Energy Potential
Wave power is the capture of energy by ocean surface waves to produce electricity generation. By-products can include water desalination and the pumping of water into reservoirs for energy storage. Wave energy is a renewable, zero-emission source of power. 60% of the world lives within 60km of a coastline, removing transmission issues. As water is approximately 800 times denser than air, the energy density of waves vastly exceeds that of wind dramatically increasing the amount of energy available for harvesting. In addition, wave fronts are predictable for days in advance making it easy to match supply and demand.
According to an independent report commissioned by CNM and produced by globally recognised ocean resource specialists RPS MetOcean, at least 35% of Australia’s current base load power needs could be economically generated from wave energy. Australia has a potential near-shore (less than 25 metres water depth) wave energy resource of approximately 171,000 Megawatts (MW), approximately four times Australia’s current total installed power generation capacity. According to the report, of this near-shore wave resource, a conservative 10% is estimated to be economically extractable. This means that around 35% of Australia’s current power usage could be met by harnessing wave energy. The results also demonstrated an effective wave resource availability of 97.5% exists, making base load (near constant) renewable power generation possible.
US President Obama is specifically supporting ocean energy. The White House web site says "On Earth Day 2009, the President unveiled a program to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner." That is a very large endorsement for ocean energy.2. Worldwide CETO Rights
The northern hemisphere CETO intellectual property rights were recently re-acquired by Carnegie from Renewable Energy Holdings (AIM: REH) for 252 million new CNM shares (approximately 35% dilution of the share register), subject to shareholder approval. In basic terms this means a 35% premium for 10 times the potential revenue.
Even though the wave resource is superior in the southern hemisphere, the number of possible sites with good wave resources close to big population centres is much, much larger in the northern hemisphere plus approximately 90% of global power consumption occurs there. Locations like the UK and Portugal have very strong financial incentives for wave generated power in terms of targeted wave energy feed-in tariffs and/or renewable energy certificates. In addition, CETO pilot sites in Bermuda (2MW) and Canada (4MW) are already planned.
With the REH deal, Carnegie also inherits the REH JV partnership with EDF EN, a 50% subsidiary of French power utility Electricity de France (EDF).
The benefits of this transaction are well summarised by Paterson’s in their 10th June 2009 broker report:
"• Simplification of the CETO ownership structure.
• Removal of licensee risk. The risk that some day the CETO license could be terminated by the owner.
• Improved access to capital. It is easier for the technology owner to raise new capital as opposed to a licensee. Access to Northern Hemisphere markets also improves access to Northern Hemisphere investors.
• Access to Northern Hemisphere market. More than 90% of the world’s population live in the Northern Hemisphere, representing more than 90% of the world’s power market.
• Access to REH’s commercial sites. This will significantly increase Carnegie’s portfolio of project sites that may be developed in the medium term.
• Better positioned for Government Grants. Carnegie expects to be better positioned for securing Government Grants as the technology owner, rather than as a licensee. The Company can also pursue grants from Northern hemisphere governments.
• Closer relationship with EDF EN. EDF EN has over 2,200MW of installed renewable power capacity in operation and another 1,000 under construction. Its parent company is one of the largest power companies in the world. Directly partnering with EDF EN can provide many credibility and resourcing benefits to an emerging company like Carnegie.
• Transaction structure does not require cash.
• Intellectual property and know-how synergy. The current ownership structure is somewhat inefficient, with the IP ownership in a separate entity to the development know-how. Having both in the same entity allows the development knowledge to add value during project evaluation, site selection and negotiation phases."
Wave energy in the northern hemisphere is currently more lucrative than in the southern hemisphere. This is because of more aggressive renewable energy targets, and in the case of Scotland, because of the scarcity of suitable areas for wind farm development. Here are two examples of northern hemisphere wave energy pricing:
2.1. Portugal pays 23 Euro cents per kW/h feed in tariffs. That is €230 per MW/h. If you were generating 10 MW of baseload wave power you would be earning €1,656,000 per month which is approx. €20 million per annum. The feed-in tariff for 50 MW is €100 million per annum.
2.2. A wave power generator in Scotland will receive ROCs (Renewables Obligation Certificates) of 5 x £37 per megawatt/hour = £185 (in the UK wave power ROCs will count as two times the value of regular ROC’s, but that figure is five times in Scotland). That is £185 for every megawatt produced for every hour of generation. If you were generating 10 MW of baseload wave power then you would be earning £1,332,000 per month, which is about £16 million per annum (more if the market value of each ROC is higher as they can be on-sold to high carbon emitters). A 50 MW plant would generate £80 million in ROC’s per annum. (This calculation is independent of the feed in tariff. The feed-in tariff would produce additional income over and above that generated by the ROC’s.)
What is the market potential for Carnegie? Carnegie can expect two main sources of income:
· As a wave farm project developer in its own right;
· As CETO technology owner Carnegie can earn royalties from partners and licensees that develop CETO based projects.3. Australian Wave Energy Sites
CNM has secured access to prime wave energy sites in WA, SA and VIC all with excellent wave resources and good prospects for wave power generation plus they are all easily connectible into the electricity grid. In addition CNM has also signed an MOU with the Department of Defence for Garden Island and a power off-take agreement with Synergy for the WA grid. A 50 MW CETO demonstration plant was originally proposed to be in Albany where the wave resource is the best in the state.
The site of this demonstration plant was to be formally announced in mid 2009, however as of the date of this posting, there are reported plans for a project with the Department of Defence to build a pilot CETO wave energy farm to supply to power HMAS Stirling on Garden Island. The plant is planned to be 5 MW capacity with 25 CETO III units deployed. At 5 MW this will be the largest operational wave power plant in the world and will be Carnegie’s commercial demonstration site. It is to be upgradeable to 50 MW and at this stage is seen as the most likely candidate for the commercial demonstration site.
WWF has recently reported that building 1.5 GW of wave energy power stations by 2020 would create over three thousand Australian jobs and generate enough clean electricity to power 1.2 million households. Building a total of 12 GW by 2050 would create over 14 thousand jobs. WWF also reports that “wave energy is an ideal source of baseload power – it is highly predictable and reliable, particularly along the southern coastline of Australia where regular storms in the Southern Ocean deliver constant swells to the shoreline.”
Carnegie forecasts that by 2020, approximately 1,500 MW of CETO wave energy capacity could be installed along the southern coastline of Australia, contributing around 4% of Australia’s forecast electricity needs – emissions-free. To achieve this, the combined area occupied by CETO wave energy facilities would be less than 1,000ha (3.2km2). Carnegie has already identified a number of potential sites for CETO projects that offer an ideal premium wave resource, good access to the electricity network and close proximity to suitable water depths.
A summary of these key Australian wave energy sites (from the Paterson’s broker report) is as follows:
“Garden Island (Western Australia) – secured.
• Proposed location for CETO 3 – the Company’s commercial demonstration plant.
• Garden Island is the Royal Australian Navy’s largest base. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Australian Department of Defence for collaboration, onshore site and power off-take.
• Wave characteristics: >65% availability of 2m wave, 90% availability of 1m wave.
• Connectible into WA transmission grid.
Albany (Western Australia) – secured.
• 5 year exclusive offshore investigation license with 30 + 30 year lease option.
• Exclusive option from Albany Shire for onshore generating plant to be situated on the Albany
Wind Farm site adjacent to the offshore wave licence area.
• Wave characteristics: >90% availability of 2m wave.
• Estimated extractable resource >200MW.
• Connectible into WA transmission grid.
Port MacDonnell (South Australia) – secured.
• 3 + 3 year offshore investigation license with preferential option to lease.
• Wave characteristics: >90% availability of 2m wave.
• Connectible into National Electricity Market.
Phillip Island (Victoria) – preliminary approvals.
• Exclusive MOU with private landowner for onshore generation site. Government permission
granted for preliminary wave activities.
• Wave characteristics: >90% availability of 2m wave.
• Connectible into National Electricity Market.
Portland and Warrnambool (Victoria) – preliminary approvals.
• Government permission granted for preliminary wave activities.
• Wave characteristics: >90% availability of 2m wave.
• Connectible into National Electricity Market.”4. The Competition
While there are many and varied devices that harness wave and tidal energy there appears to be little competition from fully tested, working devices. To date there are few if any examples of wave energy facilities that are connected to an electricity grid. Additionally, most first generation devices are deployed above the water line and are subject to damage from violent storms. CETO is less susceptible to storm damage as it is anchored and completely submerged plus there is a proposed mechanism that allows it to shut down and ride out the most violent storms. Most of the competing devices generate electricity in or underwater, which is problematic due to the electrical shielding required and the related infrastructure and transmission costs.
I have compiled a very brief table of some of the major competitors with their flagship product (wave only – not tidal) and status:
Company
Product
Floating or Submerged?
Electrical Generation
Status
Aquamarine Power
Oyster
Mostly submerged
On shore (hydrokinetic)
In development – not deployed for testing yet
BioPower Systems
BioWave
Fully submerged
In ocean
In development – not deployed for testing yet
Carnegie Corporation
CETO
Fully submerged
On shore (hydrokinetic)
CETO II units deployed off
Fremantle, CETO III in development
Finavera
AquaBuOY
Floats on surface
In ocean
Test buoy sank, have pulled out of wave energy to focus on wind energy only
Oceanlinx
Oceanlinx
Above surface; Mk1 anchored, Mk2 floating
In ocean
2 prototypes deployed off Port Kembla, Mk1 and Mk2
Ocean Power Technologies
PowerBuoy
Floats on surface
In ocean
PB-40 (40 kW) prototypes deployed
off Hawaii and New Jersey, PB-150 and PB-500 in development
Pelamis
Pelamis Wave Energy Converter
Floats on surface
In ocean
Aguçadoura (Portugal) wave project is on
hold indefinitely, P-2 Pelamis version in development
Wavebob
Wavebob
Floats on surface
In ocean
In development – not deployed for testing yet