A FLOATING wave energy converter is ready to be deployed in Albany’s outer harbour.
The M4 converter, the focus of a Western Australian research project, is designed to harness renewable energy from the ocean.
The Albany M4 Wave Energy Demonstration Project will deploy the device in the waters of King George Sound to test the potential for the region’s high wave energy density and reliable swells to be used as a renewable energy source.
The initiative is a collaboration between The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Commonwealth-funded Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre, with $1.55 million in funding support from the Western Australian government.
The project builds on work by the Albany-headquartered UWA Marine Energy Research Centre (MERA), which collaborates with research and industry partners to facilitate innovative renewable energy technologies.
WA regional development minister Don Punch said the project is supporting renewable energy supply-chain development in the region. Its goal is to decarbonise aquaculture operations.
“This project is not only nationally significant, but it is making a difference for local businesses by creating upskilling opportunities and increasing capability to work within the innovation and blue economy sector,” Mr Punch said.
MERA centre manager Wiebke Ebeling, who is also a director of Southern Ports, said the M4 Wave Energy Project would validate advanced modelling predictions and demonstrate the feasibility of wave energy as a stable, renewable baseload power source.
“It’s an exciting step forward in our journey to establish Albany as a hub for renewable energy innovation and economic growth,” Dr Ebeling said.
The device is expected to be deployed in mid-September and collect data over the six months it is in operation.
