Australian Stock Exchange listed Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd, the patented CETO wave energy technology developer, has set up a base in Cornwall.

Carnegie, which converts ocean swell into zero-emission renewable power and desalinated freshwater has secured a berth at Wave Hub based on the region’s superb infrastructure, supply chain and suitability for the deployment of the company’s market leading CETO 6 wave technology.

CETO is designed to be the simplest and most robust wave technology globally and is the only ocean-tested wave energy technology that is both fully submerged and generates power and desalinated water onshore. The CETO technology has been independently verified by EDF – Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) and engineering consulting firm Frazer Nash.

 The CETO 6 solution is targeting deployment at Wave Hub in 2018.  Wave Hub is the world’s largest and most technologically advanced site for the testing and development of offshore renewable energy technology. 

Located 16km offshore in the eastern extremes of the Atlantic Ocean, Wave Hub offers Carnegie an ideal test facility.  Following an extensive period of research and development in Australia, Carnegie is bringing the CETO solution to the UK for pre-commercial testing.  Wave Hub offers Carnegie direct grid access with a capacity of 30-48 MW and an on-facility substation.  The project has already started, with construction scheduled to commence in 2017 and first power by 2018. 

 Claire Gibson, Managing Director at Wave Hub commented: 

“We are delighted to welcome Carnegie to Cornwall; the company’s decision to locate at Wave Hub reinforces the global importance of the facility.  The infrastructure for the development, testing and deployment of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) solutions in Cornwall is truly market leading.  The location of Carnegie in the region will present a significant opportunity for the local supply chain, as the majority of fabrication and engineering will be completed locally.” 

 Tim Sawyer, Business Development Manager, Carnegie Wave Energy Limited said:

 “Carnegie has invested over £60m million in the development of the CETO technology and have completed extensive R&D at our private Wave Energy Research Facility and commercial scale in-ocean testing at Garden Island, Western Australia.  More significantly we have now reached a significant milestone in its ground breaking Perth Wave Energy Project, with the CETO 5 units reaching 10,000 hours of cumulative, continuous operation off the Western Australian coast. To bridge the gap between pre-commercial development and commercial roll-out we required a facility that offers supporting infrastructure, streamlines approvals and direct access to the grid and Wave Hub clearly meets these requirements. “

CETO could potentially revolutionise power and water production globally. CETO harnesses the enormous renewable energy present in the ocean's waves and converts it into zero-emission electricity and zero-emission desalinated water.

The CETO system is differentiated from other wave energy devices as it operates under water where it is protected from large storms and invisible from the shore. Power can be generated either offshore or onshore. The fully submerged buoys can drive pump units to deliver high pressure fluid onshore to standard hydroelectric turbines, generating zero-emission electricity. The technology can also be used to power a reverse osmosis desalination plant, replacing or reducing reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting, electrically-driven pumps usually required for such plants.

 Carnegie is planning to move into the Hayle Marine Business Park following its completion later in 2015. The company has been supported by Invest in Cornwall, a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cornwall Council, hosted by Cornwall Development Company.

Carnegie has already started to work with Cornwall’s extensive supply chain as it seeks to move the project forward. Over the next 12-18 months it anticipates taking on 10 UK employees , with further expansion when it delivers a subsequent commercial project.

The developer also has subsidiaries established in Chile and Ireland focussed on commercial exploitation opportunities in key target markets.