Detailed design finished for wave-energy desalination

Australian wave-energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd announced on 31 October 2013 the completion of the detailed design of its wave‑powered desalination pilot plant.



The pilot plant will be integrated into Carnegie’s Perth Wave Energy Project on Garden Island, Western Australia, and will demonstrate for the first time the production of both power and freshwater from ocean waves.



The detailed design of the desalination plant has been carried out by global engineering firm GHD, local Perth-based desalination manufacturer Mak Water Industrial and Carnegie’s technical team. The design integrates operation of Carnegie’s novel CETO technology offshore with standard reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination technology onshore.

The detailed design phase also involved environmental investigation, which has been completed to provide baseline data to monitor ongoing CWE site activity, as well as assisting and informing design and construction phase of the CWE project.

The high-pressure pump of a standard containerised RO circuit is driven by a variable displacement hydraulic motor installed within the hydraulic system of the wave-energy facility. When in operation, the mechanical energy provided from the hydraulic circuit of the wave-energy plant will reduce or eliminate the electrical power required for the high-pressure pump.



The pilot project is supported by Aus$ 1.27 million (US$ 1.18 million) in federal government grant funding from AusIndustry’s Clean Technology Innovation Program, of which Aus$ 320,000 (US$ 302,000) has now been received by Carnegie.