West Australian
Saturday 24/07/2010 Page: 66
Renewable energy hopeful Carnegie Corporation Wave Energy has secured Government cash to fund a pilot project to test the success of its CETO technology in powering desalination plants. Carnegie Corporation, founded by one-time Fremantle inventor Alan Burns, has been testing its underwater wave energy technology for use as a zero emissions energy source at its Fremantle facility and this year began building a 5MW pilot plant at Garden Island with $12.5 million from the State Government.
It has also flagged the potential for the technology to be used in desalination projects. Now it has been formally given the go-ahead to prove that potential through the Rockingham based National Centre for Excellence in desalination, a joint State-Federal Government research institute launched by the Minister for Climate Change Penny Wong last night.
Speaking after the ribbon-cutting, Carnegie Corporation managing director Mike Ottaviano said the $500,000 project - jointly funded by Carnegie Corporation and the NCED - was an important first step in shoring up the CETO technology. "Having our initial project located in WA means we're well-placed to capitalise on desalination opportunities locally and then export this expertise globally", Dr Ottaviano said.
The CETO technology generates power through buoys anchored on the ocean floor that use the motion of passing waves to drive pumps to deliver pressurised water to shore. Under the desalination project, the water would be pushed into the incoming seawater being pumped into a traditionally designed desalination plant.
"There are a lot of desal plants already in operation today that are powered by fossil fuels... and about 40% of the bottom line of a desalination plant is energy (cost)!' he said. "So if you can remove that... you've got massive cost savings and greenhouse gas savings as well". Carnegie Corporation is among tenderers on the short list for the proposed Binningup desalination plant.
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