Wave energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy Limited announced that the third and final CETO 5 wave energy unit has been successfully installed and is operating at its Perth Wave Energy Project site off Garden Island, Western Australia.
The third CETO 5 unit was installed successfully at the project site last Saturday and has since been operating alongside the two other CETO 5 units. The first CETO 5 unit has now been operating for over 2,700 hours, with the second CETO 5 unit completing 1,200 operational hours, Carnegie informed.
The planned retrieval and onshore inspection of one of the two existing CETO 5 units at the same time as the deployment of the third was deferred to allow an initial period of time where all 3 units could operate together. This deferral decision was made due to the continued positive operations of the first two CETO 5 units. The retrieval of one of the first two CETO 5 units is still a planned activity to be completed in the next 30-60 days.
Carnegie’s Managing Director, Dr Michael Ottaviano , said: “The successful installation of our final CETO 5 unit is the final step in the delivery of the Perth Wave Energy Project. Having the only operating wave farm in the world is an enormous achievement for Carnegie and its stakeholders. The integration of multiple wave energy convertors is critical to demonstrating the principles of future CETO wave farms. Now all three units are integrated and operating we can begin to operate the power plant as intended and understand how the system operates across a range of sea states and settings.”
Perth Wave Energy Project will now operate through the 2015 calendar year. During the year, Carnegie’s engineers will carry out various operational tests and calibrations to test and understand the system operation under various settings and conditions. The important data collected will inform the design and delivery of the CETO 6 project, Carnegie added.
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