By Celsias Team
Posted on Aug. 3, 2010. Listed in:
The Chatham Islands has caught a break with news that a project to harness wave energy from the region has been awarded funding under the government's Marine Energy Deployment Fund.
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee made the announcement, saying the project suited the Chatham Island community well because of its desire to reduce its reliance on costly diesel generation for electricity.
"The project developers expect the turbines will be able to supply more than half the island's electricity needs,” says Brownlee.
The proposal put forward by Chatham Islands Marine Energy Ltd (CHIME), to install a shore-based device to capture wave energy, has been awarded $2.16 million, subject to conditions, including receiving resource consent.
The project will see the construction of an oscillating water column to power two 110 kilowatt Wells turbines. The device will be installed on the south-west coast of Chatham Island, and will supply electricity into the island's electricity network.
The technology involves using the motion of rising and falling waves to compress air and rotate a turbine to generate electricity. The device is completely shore-based with a concrete collector and turbine fixed to the shore. The technology has been used for more than a decade in the United Kingdom.
"A project like this could have potential for other isolated areas of New Zealand, and our Pacific Island neighbours,” says Brownlee.
Brownlee went on to say the project ties in with the government’s aims, as stated in the recently released (and criticized) draft New Zealand Energy Strategy, to develop the country’s resources and provide secure and affordable energy to New Zealanders.
Proposed Chatham Islands wave project site.
