Energy farm set for wave of success

A buoy to measure wave conditions has been installed off Sandpatch, marking the first step in the $50 million Albany Wave Energy project.

The metocean buoy was deployed by Carnegie Clean Energy in 30m of water about 1.5km off the coast near the Albany wind farm last Friday.

It will record wave height, period and energy spectra — transmitting results straight to Carnegie, which will help determine the final design of the wave farm.

Carnegie chief executive Michael Ottaviano said the installation was a milestone for the project.

“Albany is one of the greatest wave-energy resources in the world,” he said. “We are delighted that we will be proving our CETO 6 design in Western Australia — our home State.”

CETO 6 is the name of the unit, which will eventually be installed at the site and rise up and down on the swell to generate electricity.

The project will initially operate at 1MW and is set to open in late 2019.

Dr Ottaviano said Albany could become a world hub for renewable energy with a wave farm running alongside its existing wind farm.

"We have been overwhelmed with the response from the Albany community and we are determined to ensure Albany becomes a global leader in renewable energy,” he said.

The project was boosted by $15.75 million in State funding announced in October.

In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange yesterday, Carnegie said the Albany project would be a prototype for the CETO 6 technology.

It said final project design and environmental considerations were under way.

The project will also provide common-user infrastructure, as part of the State funding agreement, in Albany. A further $3.5 million in funding will also help bring together more than 30 researchers at the University of WA’s Wave Energy Research Centre.