A fully submerged wave energy converter system, developed by Carnegie Clean Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary, CETO Wave Energy Ireland (CWEI), has received approval for deployment in Basque Country, Spain.
EuropeWave, a European research and development project exclusively for WECs, has granted the Authorisation to Proceed (ATP) and is a crucial step towards the development of new ways of tapping into renewable energy sources like the waves of the sea.
Named after the Greek sea goddess, the CETO wave energy converter is designed to be fully submerged and uses point absorber-type wave energy technology. The device comprises a buoy that moves with the waves a few meters below the ocean’s surface. This means that it can be installed at different water depths and seafloor conditions, away from storm waves and the sight of beachgoers.
The design makes sure that the device has a minimal visual impact and can coexist with marine life. It has a mooring system that attaches to the sea floor, and a dynamic cable removes the carbon-free electricity generated by the buoyant actuator from the system. The system is entirely modular and can be arranged in arrays to provide clean and green energy to the grid.
As part of the ATP milestone, CWEI have submitted detailed documents covering various aspects, covering financial, technical, safety, regulatory, and testing. These aspects have been reviewed by the EuropeWave Buyers Group to determine whether they are ready to proceed to the next stage of contract delivery.
This successful achievement of the ATP milestone marks the start of a transition from planning and design into procurement over the coming months. With the EuropeWave Authorisation to Proceed granted, the team will begin awarding contracts for the fabrication and procurement of long lead items.
Passing the ATP milestone has also unlocked a EuropeWave milestone payment of approximately €168k ($276k AUD), which can now be invoiced.
“Passing the Authorisation to Proceed milestone of the EuropeWave contract is a testament to the team’s hard work and vision for the ACHIEVE Programme, which will be a key strategic step in CETO’s commercialization journey. For us, this is an exciting green light. We keep taking important steps toward being grid-connected and generating renewable electricity from waves in the Basque Country,” said Miguel Santos Herrán, the ACHIEVE Project Manager.
