EXCLUSIVE
INVESTORS are exploring a proposal to build a multi-million dollar wave energy project off the coastline of Port MacDonnell.
If the project comes to fruition, it will be the second of its type foreshadowed for the region’s coastline.
Grant District Council staff have been in talks with the project’s proponents, which could potentially deliver cutting edge wave energy technology to the region.
Council economic development adviser Mike Ryan told elected members this week the project’s details were confidential and the process was at the “pre-feasibility stage”.
But he confirmed the company behind the project had “approached” council and was exploring a wave energy proposal.
Mr Ryan also revealed the project was at the “innovative stage”.
The news comes nearly six years after the 3000 tonne wave energy converter project earmarked for Port MacDonnell floundered after nearly sinking on route to the South East.
The $7m Oceanlinx project would have delivered the world’s first 1mW wave energy converter.
The unit – which made global headlines – was mooted to be lowered on the seabed just 4km off the coast of Port MacDonnell.
The failed Oceanlinx project attracted a $4m grant from the Federal Government.
At the time, Oceanlinx said the device was safe for marine life and navigation lights and radar reflectors would had been installed to reduce the risk of collision for the region’s commercial lobster fishing fleet and recreational fishes.
According to a CSIRO report published last year, projections show wave energy could provide a viable contribution to Australia’s future energy mix.
“Wave energy is an emerging technology that has been generating interest as an alternative renewable energy source,’ the report said.
There are more than 200 wave energy devices in various stages of testing and demonstration, however there is limited published data on its viability as an alternate energy source.
The study found potential for wave energy in Australia was “great”.
“Our preliminary studies show the southern coastline of Australia has a great wave resource,” the report said.
This is because strong southern ocean winds generate “consistently large waves”, which travel northwards to Australia’s southern coastline.
The large consistent swell provides
ideal conditions for wave energy production.
“Our research shows wave energy could contribute up to 11pc of Australia’s energy – enough to power a city the size of Melbourne – by 2050, making it a strong contender in Australia’s renewable energy mix,” the report said.
“Recognising the future potential for wave energy, CSIRO is also supporting developers to understand the environmental effects of the deployment of wave energy converters in the marine environment.”
