Wave power electricity to soon feed the grid

Wave power electricity may soon be feeding the grid with the installation of a 250 kW bioWAVE unit off the coast of Victoria.

The $21 million project has been in development by BioPower Systems (BPS) for three years, with $11 million funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and $5 million funding from the Victorian Government.

The unit, which was completed in early 2015, is a 26-metre-high steel structure that sways back and forth, mostly below the surface of the ocean, and is designed to capture energy from the waves and convert it into electricity to be fed into the grid via an undersea cable.

BPS CEO Dr Timothy Finnigan said the usually powerful swell at this site abated enough for the installation to be completed smoothly and successfully.

“Installation of the bioWAVE in the Southern Ocean marks the culmination of an intensive development phase, and the beginning of a testing and demonstration phase for bioWAVE. We will now turn our attention to commissioning the plant for operation, and we aim to be delivering electricity into the grid very soon,” Dr Finnigan said.

The bioWAVE was deployed by a crane-equipped ship, which transported the device to the site and lowered it into the water. The structure was angled slightly, piercing the surface like a diver to avoid any impacts from the waves, before being levelled out and landed on the seabed. Divers monitored the process from below to ensure accurate placement.

Acting ARENA CEO Ian Kay said the installation is a major achievement for Australia’s emerging wave power industry and renewable energy innovation.

“BPS has overcome a range of logistical and technical challenges over the better part of a decade, taking BioWAVE through extensive research, design and testing phases. Developing new technologies takes considerable time and resources and government support is crucial for enabling this process,” said Kay.

“The device will be tested and monitored throughout its operation to produce an independent performance assessment that will be shared with the energy industry in line with ARENA’s knowledge-sharing agenda.”

The oscillating structure’s design was inspired by undersea plants. The entire device can lie flat on the seabed out of harm’s way during bad weather.

Image courtesy of BioPower Systems and ARENA.