Will CCE survive this crisis?, page-18

Interestingly early on 2 years ago they put a number on cost of energy produced. $100 Mwh when scaled up. Not sure the number of years they are amortising the capital build and installations costs over but probably 25 years and no idea what numbers they have used for maintenance.



From WSE website




WSE to Install 200 kW Unit at King Island

In keeping with the company’s philosophy of minimising risk via a carefully staged approach to the development of its technology, Wave Swell Energy (WSE) will install a 200 kW wave energy device in a more benign wave climate on the eastern side of King Island, prior to the possible installation of a full-sized 1 MW version on the west coast of the island. This initial smaller project will bridge the gap between the tank testing and commercial phases of the technology’s development, consistent with the “best practice” methodology recommended for the marine renewable energy industry.

Many past failures in the sector have been attributed to transitioning too quickly from the R&D stage to the commercial phase. Doing so increases risk needlessly, as history has shown. WSE will use the 200 kW project to gain experience in deploying its devices in a safe and risk averse manner, conforming to the offshore industry’s established protocols for the transport and installation of large structures in the open ocean. The project will also provide an opportunity to fine-tune the operation of the device in an easily accessible location.

It is anticipated that this 200 kW project will be installed and operating before by early 2020. Data from the project will validate the technology’s ability to produce electrical energy from ocean waves for under $100/MWh when 1 MW units are installed as part of a multi-device wave farm.




WSE Technology Validated in a Wider Range of Water Depths

During December, 2017, the Wave Swell Energy (WSE) research team oversaw detailed testing of its technology at the Launceston-based Australian Maritime College (AMC), part of the University of Tasmania. The testing was conducted independently by AMC staff. The aim of the testing was to quantitatively validate the performance of (and wave loads on) the planned 200 kW peak demonstration unit proposed for King Island.

The 200 kW demonstration unit, being in shallower water (5.75 metres deep), was expected to exhibit a lower output per metre of device width than its deeper 10 metre counterpart. While this proved to be the case, the reduction in power production per unit width was less than expected. In fact, when the lower cost of constructing and deploying a shallower water device is factored into the cost-benefit equation, it is likely shallower water projects utilising the WSE technology may often turn out to be more cost effective than deeper installations.

These test results have far reaching implications for the economic viability of the WSE product. Prior to these tank tests, the expectation was the company would commence its commercial phase providing a Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) below 10 cents per kWh – a game changer in its own right. This expectation has now been enhanced.

And, these test results have ramifications that extend beyond just a lowering of the LCOE. The fact that a cost-effective version of the technology has now been validated in shallower waters opens up a much wider range of “real estate” in which the technology is commercially viable.

In summary, WSE is now able to confidently move into the future knowing it can produce energy from ocean waves at, not only a low price, but also across a much broader array of locations than originally envisaged.