CETO is a wave energy technology that converts ocean swells into renewable power and desalinated freshwater. It was developed by Carnegie Wave Energy Limited, an Australian ASX-listed inventor and owner of the patented device. Carnegie raised over $45m to fund the development of the technology which it has tested off Fremantle, and Garden Island (HMAS Stirling), Western Australia.
CETO is designed to be a simple and robust wave technology. CETO is the only ocean-tested wave energy technology globally that is both fully submerged and generates power and or desalinated water onshore. The CETO technology has been independently verified by EDF – Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) and the French naval contractor DCNS.[1]
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Named after a Greek ocean goddess, Ceto, the CETO system distinguishes itself from other traditional wave energy devices by being a fully submerged, pumping technology that drives the hydraulic fluid onshore therefore generating power by a standard Reverse osmosis system. Submerged buoys are moved up and down by the ocean swell, driving pumps which pressurize freshwater that is delivered ashore by a subsea pipeline. Once onshore, the high-pressure freshwater is used to drive hydro turbines, generating zero-emission electricity. The high-pressure water can 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.[2]
Traditionally, wave technologies are characterized as offshore, floating power stations.
Upon completion of Stage 1 of the Perth Wave Energy Project, Carnegie enlisted Frazer-Nash consultancy to verify the CETO 3 unit's measured and modelled capacity. During the CETO 3 in-ocean trial, Frazer-Nash verified the peak measured capacity to be 78kW and delivered a sustained pressure of 77bar, above what is required for sea water reverse osmosis desalination.
Stage 1 which has already been completed, involved the manufacture, deployment and testing of a single commercial-scale autonomous CETO unit off Garden Island. For this stage, the CETO unit was not connected to shore but was stand-alone and autonomous, providing telemetric data back to shore for confirmation and independent verification of the unit's performance.
Stage 2 of the project involves the design, construction, deployment and operational performance evaluation of a grid-connected commercial-scale wave energy demonstration project, also at Garden Island. The facility will consist of multiple submerged CETO units in an array, subsea pipeline(s) to shore, hydraulic conditioning equipment and an onshore power generation facility.
The Réunion Island project is a Joint Venture (JV) project between Carnegie and EDF Energies Nouvelles. The project will initially consist of the deployment of a single, autonomous commercial scale unit (stage 1) which will be followed by a 2MW plant (stage 2) and a further expansion of the project to a nominal 15MW installed capacity (stage 3). Stage 1 of the project has been awarded $5M of French Government funding.
Carnegie has signed a formal funding and collaboration agreement with the Irish Government's Sustainable Energy Association (SEAI) for a €150,000 project to evaluate potential CETO wave sites in Ireland and develop a site specific conceptual design. The project is 50% funded by the SEAI and 50% by Carnegie and forms the first phase of detailed design for a potential 5MW commercial demonstration project in Irish waters. The project was underway in 2011 and is being managed through Carnegie's Irish subsidiary, CETO Wave Energy Ireland Limited.[3]