As energy prices rise due to global demand-supply pressures, the search for renewables continues. Lapping at Australia’s shores is a huge renewable energy resource – wave power. Kristine Pillai and Sarah Robertson report.
As an island nation, Australia has massive potential wave power generation resources and capabilities. But just how much energy does the ocean have to give? Research by the wave energy developer Carnegie Corporation and the Federal Government has revealed just how powerful waves can be.
An independent report commissioned by Carnegie Corporation has shown that at least 35 per cent of Australia’s current base load power needs can be economically generated by waves.
The report, Wave Power Assessment for the Entire Southern Coastline of Australia, aimed to independently assess the potential near-shore (less than 25 metres water depth) wave energy resource along Australia’s southern coastline. It found that Australia has a potential near-shore wave energy resource of approximately 171,000 megawatts (MW) – approximately four times Australia’s current total installed power generation capacity.
According to the report, which was produced by ocean resource specialists RPS MetOcean, a conservative ten per cent of this near-shore wave resource is estimated to be economically extractable. This would provide approximately 35 per cent of Australia’s current power demand from zero emissions wave energy. The results also demonstrated an effective wave resource availability of 97.5 per cent, which will make base load renewable power generation possible.
to be continued
