Govt gives $9.6 million to wave projects

The Australian government has awarded grants of $9.6 million to two wave technology developers, BioPower Systems and Oceanlinx Ltd, as part of the $126 million Emerging Renewables Programme.
International tidal energy company Oceanlinx will receive $4 million for its commercial wave energy demonstrator project. The company hopes to connect its 1 MW GreenWave energy device to the grid by the end of 2013.
Australian wave energy developer BioPower Systems is to receive $5.6 million for its BioWave pilot project in Victoria. The 250 kW, 400 tonne multi-blade device is planned to be operational by the end of 2015 at a site off the coast at Port Fairy.
The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson says the area between the southern tip of Tasmania and Geraldton in WA has the potential to produce up to 1,300 TWh of power annually.
Oceanlinx have been testing wave-energy prototypes at Port Kembla in the Illawarra, but the area is not providing continuous enough waves for the system.
Oceanlinx previously installed a generator off Port Kembla Harbour in the Illawarra which broke free from moorings in heavy seas in 2010. The rusting 170 tonne generator still remains in the ocean, but Oceanlinx Chief Executive Ali Baghaei gave assurances that the wreckage will be removed within months.