Carnegie wave energy project powers up in Western Australia
 
WA will be the first state to use emission-free power generated by the ocean after this week's start of the innovative wave-energy converter project.

The CETO wave energy project launched by Perth-based Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd will be based near Garden Island. CETO technology is designed to convert the movement of waves into zero-emission electricity. It can also provide clean power for the desalination of water.

It differs from other wave energy systems by being anchored to the sea bed, operating beneath the water surface and out of sight. The subsea system creates high pressure water that travels by pipes to feed power generator turbines on the shore.

Carnegie this month received the first instalment of a $12.5 million grant for the project from the WA State Government. And this week started on the 5mega-watt demonstration CETO unit by installing a subsea mooring off Garden Island. 

Energy Minister Peter Collier said demonstration projects such as this provided emerging technologies with the opportunity to prove their commercial viability while contributing to the expanded national Renewable Energy Target scheme (20 per cent renewable energy by 2020).