Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has provided financial support for wave energy array research and development project through its latest industry-researcher collaboration R&D funding round.
The R&D project, led by University of Western Australia in collaboration with Carnegie Wave Energy, has received Au$994,000 ($760,000) to investigate the optimal number, size, arrangement and location of wave energy device arrays in order to minimize the cost of installation and infrastructure while maximizing power output.
The total cost of the project, scheduled to begin this month, amounts to Au$3.6 million ($2.7 million).
The project outcomes are expected to be applicable to all floating wave energy converters, and will be validated using Carnegie Wave’s CETO 5 wave energy module at Garden Island, Western Australia and then applied to the development of the CETO 6 array in 2020.
ARENA’s latest funding round supported 9 R&D projects, with provided funding of Au$17 million.
ARENA is a commercially oriented agency established by the Australian Government in 2012 whose aim is to improve the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies, and to increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia.