Wave power plan

Jessica Benton
A company is investigating potential for a wave power plant off the region’s coastline.
Western Australia-based Carnegie Corporation is in talks with State Government about the development of the plant.
The $300 million project would use undersea buoys to capture and transfer energy from passing waves to onshore turbines.
Managing director Michael Ottaviano said the company was studying areas off the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast along with other coastal locations in Victoria.
The company had short-listed five sites, he said.
“We haven’t actually specified a location yet but we’ve done a study on Victoria more broadly and there’s a number of potential sites,” Mr Ottaviano said.
He expected the company to name its preferred location later this year.
Mr Ottaviano said Victorian coastlines were well-equipped to supply wave energy for commercial and residential uses.
“There’s two good things about Victoria. One is that it’s exposed to the Southern Ocean, where wave energy comes from, so it’s a fantastic wave resource,” he said.
“The second is the state has a good power grid that comes close to the coast in numerous locations, so there’s good energy to harvest and a good electricity system to put it into to distribute to the state.”
Victorian wave energy could power towns, cities and factories 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Mr Ottaviano predicted.
The plant could provide up to 20 per cent of the state’s electricity.
Geelong’s manufacturing base also made the city a key contender to become the state’s “hub” for wave energy, Mr Ottaviano said.
“At least 130 jobs could be created and the technology being designed for this project fits in with the existing manufacturing companies,” he said.
“There’s the potential capacity and skills base to create a big opportunity for this project.
“It’s a reasonably easy transition in which we’d be taking existing skills and workshops and re-applying them.”
The Independent reported in October that another company was also eyeing the region as a source for renewable green energy.
Greencorp Energy wanted to drill on the Bellarine Peninsula for “wet hot rocks” to generate geothermal power.
The company submitted a bid for Federal Government funding and was in talks with key stakeholders.