Bombara expects the detailed ‘Levelised Cost of Energy’ study to confirm the ability of the Bombora WEC to make a substantial contribution to diversifying Australia’s electrical energy supply. The study will focus on the current design for a commercial scale Bombora WEC, a 1.5 MW device consisting of two 60 metre arms resting on the sea floor at a depth of 10 metres. Electricity generated by the device would be transferred to shore via a subsea cable for supply into the electrical grid.
“The Cost of Energy study is a crucial component in our commercialisation roadmap, ahead of deploying a full-scale Bombora WEC” said Sam Leighton, Chief Executive Officer, Bombora Wave Power. “We are very pleased to have ARENA’s support at this critical juncture as we confirm our competitiveness in the renewable energy sector.”
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht added that harnessing energy from the ocean takes determination, ingenuity and time and that Bombora has been developing its wave energy device for five years. The study is an opportunity for the company to prove the case for its technology and continue its journey towards commercialisation.
The $362,000 study will refine earlier investigations and includes design reviews and production costing involving key suppliers for all major components of the system. Previous techno-economic investigations indicated the Bombora WEC would be able to match the Levelised Cost of Energy of other renewable energy sources.
The cost of energy study is due for completion in March 2016.
Image: Swan River trial (picture by Tony Malkovic)
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