The site

The Réunion Island site was selected following a comprehensive review of suitable sites. It provides a suitable deep water test site in an exposed island wave regime that is periodically exposed to high-energy southern wave events and has minimal environmental impact.

Deployment in water depths consistent with future commercial demonstration sites will deliver operational performance data, provide detailed sea-state interaction data to enable final design optimisation for small-scale island commercial demonstration and greater confidence in determining the capacity factor for a given island sea-state.

Technology

The CETO system distinguishes itself from other wave energy devices by operating out of sight and being anchored to the ocean floor. An array of submerged buoys is tethered to seabed pump units. The buoys move in harmony with the motion of the passing waves, driving the pumps which in turn pressurise water that is delivered ashore via a pipeline.

The high-pressure water is then used to drive hydroelectric turbines, generating zero-emission electricity. The high-pressure water can also be used to supply a reverse osmosis desalination plant, reducing electrical energy conversion losses and replacing electrically-driven pumps usually required for such plants.

Characteristics of the technology are listed below:

• CETO converts wave energy into zero-emission electricity and desalinated water
• CETO is environmentally friendly, has no visual impact and co-exists with marine life
• CETO is fully submerged, where it is safer from storms, and in deep water away from popular surf breaks and coastal activities
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Energy purchase and supply

Power generated from the project will be sold under a French feed-in tariff of €22 cents per kilowatt hour.

The generator is designed to operate at a base load mode, with the second stage of the project planned to be connected to the Réunion Island grid.

All energy involved in the Réunion Island CETO Power Project is supplied by ocean waves.

Other distinguishing features

The hydraulic energy transported to shore via the pipelines can be used to generate electricity or to directly produce desalinated water. Accordingly, the energy supply can be substituted or combined with a potable water supply contract.

At this stage, just the Réunion Island CETO Power Project is planned as the EDF EN partnership is solely for power projects. However, like many remote island communities, there is potential at a later stage for collaborations on a desalination project.

Environmental impact

By completion of the third stage, the project is expected to save 65,000 tonnes per annum of greenhouse gas emissions.

Success of the project to date

The project is proceeding on schedule and has been successful in receiving French Government funding. Stage 1 of the project will receive approximately 70 per cent of its funding in French Government grants.

“This is a significant step forward towards the development of commercial CETO projects and a tangible expansion of Carnegie’s business internationally in a European regime where very attractive incentives for wave energy exist,” says Carnegie Managing Director and CEO Dr Michael Ottaviano.

About the owners

Carnegie Wave Energy Limited is an Australian wave energy and clean technology developer. Carnegie is the owner and developer of the CETO Wave Energy Technology intellectual property.

EDF Energies Nouvelles (EN) is a market leader in renewable energy with operations in ten European countries and in America. EDF EN has focused on wind energy for several years and more recently on solar photovoltaic as well as other segments of the renewable energy market: small hydro, biomass, biofuel and biogas. EDF EN is a 50 per cent-owned subsidiary of the EDF Group.

In December 2009, Carnegie and EDF EN signed a joint venture and licence agreement to deploy CETO projects throughout the Northern Hemisphere and Réunion Island.