A wave power station has been proposed off the coast of Western Australia by a joint partnership agreement announced between Ocean Power Technologies and Griffin Wave Power Ltd. The proposed wave power station will have an initial capacity of 10MW with the potention to expand to 100MW.

The technology used to create the Western Australia Wave Power Station is Ocean Power Technologies’ PowerBuoy wave generation system. The device works by sitting on top of the ocean and the up and down movement of the waves causes the buoy to move up and down. The movement of the device is converted to drive an electrical generator. The generated power is then transmitted ashore via underwater power cables. The PowerBuoy is fitted with sensors that monitor the surrounding environment. In the event of overly large waves the system locks up and ceases power production. When the sea calms, the system switches back online.

The project will be sited off the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia and the generated electricity will be fed into the State’s main power grid. According to the OPT press release, the availability of high wave density energy off the Western Australia coast means that an area as little as 100 hectares could produce 100MW of power.

Griffin Energy General Manager Wayne Trumble said, “Western Australia presents OPT with unique opportunities in terms of strong and reliable wave power. We look forward to working with the Company to expand our significant renewable energy portfolio and lead Western Australia in the development of this energy source.”