BioPower installs 250-kW pilot wave unit in Aussie waters

Australian firm BioPower Systems Pty Ltd has successfully completed the installation of its 250-kW prototype wave power unit off Port Fairy in the southeastern state of Victoria and can now advance it to commissioning.

“Installation of the BioWave in the Southern Ocean marks the culmination of an intensive development phase, and the beginning of a testing and demonstration phase,” BPS CEO, Timothy Finnigan, said. The company, which has been working on the scheme for the past three years, will now start collecting data over at least a year of operations in order to pave the way for the design of a 1-MW commercial-scale BioWave unit.

In a press release on Wednesday, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) said it has committed AUD 11 million (USD 7.9m/EUR 7.2m) to the AUD-21-million project. The Victorian Government contributed AUD 5 million for the demonstration unit.

The BioWave device comprises a 26-metre steel structure that sways back and forth below the ocean surface. The oscillating motion activates hydraulic cylinders to spin a generator, while the power is transported to the shore via a subsea cable.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.720/EUR 0.658)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!