Wave Swell Energy develops tidal power tech for Tasmania

Source: Bret Williams · HYDROGEN FUEL NEWS · | August 11, 2020

The renewable energy firm has designed a new oscillating water column for use on Australia’s coastline.

Hydrogen Fuel News

Wave Swell Energy has developed a new form of tidal power tech to help overcome the maintenance issues previously faced in harnessing wave energy off Australia’s coast.

The firm is seeking to use its technology to turn the offshore area into a renewable energy source.

In a recent interview with Power Technology, Dr. Tom Denniss, Doctor of Mathematics and Oceanography and co-founder of Wave Swell Energy, explained the difference the new tidal power tech can make for the region. The technology involves a newly designed oscillating water column meant to capture the energy from the waves off Australia’s coastline. The new design overcomes challenges faced in past efforts and the hope is to turn the region into a massive renewable energy producer.

Wave Swell Energy is a renewable energy technology development firm founded in 2016. Its new strategy for converting tidal power into electricity overcomes the issues from previous efforts off Australia’s coast. These include problems with maintenance due to the depth and activity of the water, to the potential harm the equipment could have to the local aquatic ecosystem. According to the firm, their new method helps to overcome those issues to make this renewable energy source viable in the region.

The new Wave Swell Energy tidal power tech is slated for implementation later this year.

In fact, the company expects the system to begin operating before the close of 2020. A pilot project has already been installed on King Island, which is located between Tasmania and the Australian mainland, in the Bass Strait.