UWA and MERA wave energy project M4 starts six-month deployment gathering data in King George Sound

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UWA and MERA wave energy project M4 starts six-month deployment gathering data in King George Sound

The six-month data collection trial of Australia’s only wave energy project officially began this month with the deployment of the University of WA’s M4 device into the King George Sound.

The large yellow device was towed from Albany Waterfront Marina to its nursery site in Albany’s outer harbour on November 8, where it will be moored until April.

The project will measure the capacity of the site and the device to generate wave energy through the flexing motion of its hinging arm.

Camera IconDr Wiebke Ebeling from MERA. Credit: UWA Media

Albany project lead and UWA’s Marine Energy Research Australia initiative manager Dr Wiebke Ebeling said the deployment was the culmination of 6½ years of hard work.

“(Albany) has an internationally unparalleled wave resource,” she said.

“(Albany) was previously known as Australia’s energy capital in the 1970s — a title that ceased with the closure of the whaling station.

“We’re trying to pick up that superlative for Albany as Australia’s capital for energy, with it now being the site of renewable energy in (a) clean innovation trial.”

Dr Ebeling said the team had been doing its best to communicate the importance of the project — which is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere — to the community and bring them along on the journey.

“It’s been very, very exciting talking to the local community about it — make sure they appreciate that this is not another piece of junk in the ocean,” she said.

“This is really delivering something that the world has not had before and that we can learn from.”

Camera IconThe deployment crew secure the buoys. Credit: UWA

MERA and UWA Oceans Institute director Christophe Gaudin said the project’s manufacturing had demonstrated Albany’s capacity as an engineering site for future projects.

Camera IconThe project is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Credit: UWA

“A big focus of our project was to demonstrate the capability of the local supply chain in undertaking a very complex ocean engineering project,” he said.

“Eighty per cent in dollar value of the whole project has been undertaken locally.

“They represent an amazing potential for the *********** economy.”

Real-time data gathered by the M4 project has been seen on

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Camera IconDr Christophe Baudin from MERA.
Credit: Melissa Sheil

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