Carnegie moves closer to 20MW Bermuda wave energy deal

Australia’s Carnegie Wave Energy has moved a step closer to a significant development on the island of Bermuda after completing a year-long study that confirms the viability of the local wave regime for the company’s technology.

Carnegie Wave Energy and a local company Triton Renewable Energy have proposed to build a 2MW pilot plant before moving to a 20MW commercial installation that will provide electricity and desalinated water to the island. However, it is now possible that the company may decide to invest directly into the larger commercial-scale facility.

Bermuda, like most islands, is dependent on expensive imported diesel for electricity. The current retail power tariff on Bermuda is 42 cents/kW, giving Carnegie Wave Energy much more room to deliver their new technology than they would on mainland grids.

“The success of this technology will serve to move Bermuda ever closer to our Energy White Paper targets of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and increasing our reliance on renewable sources of energy,” Marc Bean, the local minister for environment, planning and infrastructure strategy, said in a statement. “I look forward to the deployment of this promising, clean and efficient energy technology.”

The Carnegie Wave Energy project was selected as one of the Bermuda Electric Light Company preferred renewable energy projects.

The Bermuda project was one of several possibilities for the company’s first commercial project, but that will now be built in Perth after the federal and state governments joined to provide $16 million in funding for the $31 million facility. This means that the initial development in Bermuda may be larger than 2MW, and may aim for 20MW in staged developments.

Carnegie Wave Energie says remote islands such as Bermuda offer a natural market place for Carnegie’s CETO wave power system. A test facility is being installed in the Indian ocean island of Reunion, and other island projects are also being contemplated, along with projects in Ireland and France.

 

Comments

One response to “Carnegie moves closer to 20MW Bermuda wave energy deal”

  1. John Avatar
    John

    I have been following Carnegie’s progress for some time and have got to say I like what they have been doing. If only our state governments here in Australia had considered this technology for their desal plants, they could have had a win-win with the option of providing power to the grid when desalinated water was not required.
    This technology has the added advantage in that it doesn’t invoke the wrath of the naysayers like wind farms do. Personally, I like the look of wind farms but this technology does away with this aspect altogether. I am sure those who want to maintain the carbon intensive status quo will find something to complain about!

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