CETO is a wave energy
technology that harnesses the power of the ocean waves to
generate electricity or produce desalinated water. CETO is owned and
operated by Carnegie Wave Energy Limited (ASX: CWE), the Australian ASX-listed
clean tech developer. Carnegie will own and operate all commercial CETO wave
farms in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere CETO wave farms
will be joint ventures with CETO technology licensee, EDF Energies Nouvelles SA
(EDF EN), the renewable subsidiary of French energy giant Électricité de France
(EDF). The technology development is being demonstrated at commercial scale in
2010 off Garden Island in Western Australia, home of Australia's largest naval
base HMAS Stirling. Subsequent projects may happen at La Reunion Island and off
British Columbia where Government grants have been awarded.
Named after a Greek ocean
goddess, the CETO system distinguishes itself from other traditional wave
energy devices by being a fully submerged, pumping technology with the power
generated onshore by a standard hydro-electric turbine system.
Submerged buoys are moved up
and down by the ocean swell, driving pumps which pressurize seawater that is
delivered ashore by a pipeline. Once onshore, the high-pressure seawater is
used to drive hydro turbines, generating zero-emission electricity.
Traditionally, wave technologies are characterized as offshore, floating power
stations.
The high-pressure seawater is
also used to supply a reverse osmosis desalination plant, creating
zero-emission freshwater. Currently, seawater desalination plants are large
emitters of greenhouse gases due to the amount of energy required to drive
grid-connected pumps that deliver the high pressure seawater to reverse osmosis
membranes which remove the salt from the seawater.
Other wave energy &
CETO characteristics
● Wave energy is a renewable, zero
emission source of power.
● 60% of the world lives within 60
kilometers of a coast, minimising transmission issues.
● Since water is about 800 times denser
than air, the energy density of waves exceeds wind many times over,
dramatically increasing the amount of energy available for harvesting.
● Waves are predictable in advance, making
it easy to match supply and demand.
● CETO sits underwater, moored to the sea
floor, meaning there is no visual impact.
● CETO units operate in deep water, away
from breaking waves. The waves regenerate once they pass the CETO units,
meaning there is no impact on popular surfing sites.
● CETO units are designed to operate in
harmony with the waves, rather than attempting to resist them. This means there
is no need for massive steel and concrete structures to be built.
● CETO is the only wave energy technology
that produces fresh water directly from seawater by magnifying the pressure
variations in ocean waves.
● Any combination of power and water can
be achieved from 100% power to 100% water.
● CETO contains no oils, lubricants or
offshore electrical components. It is built from components with a known
sub-sea life of over 30 years.
● CETO units act like artificial reefs,
because of the way they attract marine life.