The final berth on the Wave Hub project has been secured, by an Australian operator.
Carnegie Wave Energy has signed a commitment agreement for the final spot on the renewable energy test facility off the Hayle coast, to demonstrate its next generation wave technology.
Through its UK arm, CETO Wave Energy UK (CWE UK), it plans to deploy a 3MW array of its next generation 1MW CETO 6 technology in 2016, with the option to expand to 10MW. It is the third customer to commit to Wave Hub in the last four months.
CETO, named after a Greek sea goddess, is a fully-submerged technology that produces high pressure water from the power of waves and uses it to generate clean electricity. It can also produce desalinated clean water.
Wave Hub MD, Claire Gibson, said: “We have seen an increase in demand from companies with advanced wave energy technology and have had to consider each of them carefully given we only had one berth remaining.
“Carnegie has an impressive track record, successfully developing their CETO technology from concept to a pre-commercial array in just ten years.
“The company expects CETO 6 to be a commercial breakthrough and we are delighted they have decided to come to Wave Hub and benefit from the local expertise that is available in Cornwall. This brings to three the number of customers planning an array deployment at Wave Hub in the next few years with a potential generating capacity of 30MW.”
Cornwall Council Leader John Pollard, who is the local member for Wave Hub’s home port of Hayle and also a board member of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, welcomed the announcement.
He said: “It is fantastic news that CETO 6 will be part of the Hayle operation. I congratulate Wave Hub on securing this contract and fulfilling the intentions of the wave energy test facility which will now be fully utilised. This latest development is very significant for the whole region and Cornwall Council’s pioneering approach to developing energy from the sea.”
Carnegie will occupy the last remaining berth at Wave Hub. Others have been reserved by UK-based Seatricity, which plans to install a device this spring prior to building out a 10MW array in the next two years, and Finnish multi-national utilities firm Fortum which has reserved a berth for an array of up to 10MW and will shortly be confirming the wave technology they have selected.
Wave Hub is also the preferred location for the UK’s first offshore floating wind demonstrator project, which is being promoted by the Energy Technologies Institute working with The Glosten Associates, and could see installation start on site as early as next year.
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