Wave energy prototype to be deployed in Albany, Western Australia

A project to install a wave energy demonstrator in King George Sound, Albany, Western Australia was launched on Friday.

The collaborative initiative between the University of Western Australia's Wave Energy Research Centre and the Australian government-funded Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre is intended to demonstrate the region’s wave energy potential to power the local aquaculture industry.

The government of Western Australia said it is contributing AUD 1.55 million (USD 1.11m/EUR 950,000) towards the AUD-4.8-million project, while the Australian Ocean Energy Group is providing additional AUD 1 million of in-kind support.

The project will see the deployment of a small prototype M4, short for Moored MultiModal Multibody, wave attenuator device in Albany’s outer harbour, King George Sound, for several months, the University of Western Australia explained.

“Offshore aquaculture presents one pathway to market for this technology, and through working with our aquaculture partners, look forward to the realisation of further integration capabilities,” said John Whittington, chief executive of the Blue Economy CRC.

(AUD 1 = USD 0.718/EUR 0.613)

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