The Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with wave energy company Oceanlinx that could help the state realise its ambitious renewable energy targets.
Australia-based Oceanlinx and HECO are discussing the development of a project to supply up to 2.7 MW of electricity to the island of Maui, Hawaii, using Oceanlinx’s floating wave energy converters (WECs). The MoU is the latest in a string of project developments and contracts for the technology around the world, and comes just days after Oceanlinx announced that it would postpone a listing on London’s AIM market.
The project in Hawaii would entail installing three WECs off the north coast of Maui and transmitting the energy to a substation via a sea cable. It would help HECO to reach its target of generating 20 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
In addition, the recently established Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative includes a target of 70 per cent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2030.
Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii, said: “This joint project with Oceanlinx is an ideal fit with our goal of providing 20 per cent of Hawaii’s power from renewable sources by 2020, and the aims of the recently established Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. As a reliable and inexhaustible source of supply, wave power will reduce our dependence on imported energy sources and increase energy security.”
Oceanlinx’s unit combines the established science of the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) with its own patented turbine technology, and has successfully completed a full-scale trial at its pilot unit at Port Kembla, Australia. The company also has further project developments and contracts in Europe, Africa and Australia, including a 27 MW project in Victoria, Australia for which the company is obtaining permits.
Oceanlinx announced in January that it would postpone a planned IPO on AIM, opting instead for a private placement in order to fund the deployment of its technology at a number of locations.
The performance of Oceanlinx’s WEC unit has been independently verified by a number of parties including Rockwell, the University of New South Wales and the UK wave power consultancy Oxford Oceanics. It consists of a partially submerged structure designed to enclose a volume of air on top of the water in the column. A wave interacting with the device causes the water to rise within the chamber, compressing the air in the chamber and forcing it through a patented turbine that enables energy to be extracted through its conversion from pneumatic to electrical power. The turbine technology allows for the precise control of the blades and allows the turbine to rotate in one direction with bi-directional airflow.
Oceanlinx’s on-going projects include the Portland project in Victoria, Australia, which could see deployment of eighteen 1.5 MW units, making it the largest offshore wave energy project in the world. The company has also signed a letter of intent with the South West of England Regional Development Agency to participate in a 5 MW multi-technology wave hub project in Cornwall.
Linkedin
