Oceanlinx joins the hub

Australia-based

has been chosen to deploy its wave energy converter at the

's Wave Hub, which will be built off the coast of

.

Oceanlinx's unit combines an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) with its own patented turbine technology. A full-scale operational unit has been constructed and successfully tested at Port Kembla in New South Wales, Australia.

The company is also pursuing wave energy projects in North America, Mexico, South Africa and Hawaii. Wave Hub will be Oceanlinx's first installation in Europe.

The South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) is planning to create the world's first large scale wave energy farm by constructing an electrical “socket” on the seabed 10 miles off Hayle on the Cornwall coast in south west England.

Oceanlinx joins three other wave device developers that have also been chosen to use Wave Hub. Each will be granted a lease of sea area of two square kilometres. A sub-sea transformer will be provided with capacity to deliver a total of 20MW into the local distribution network.

Last month the South West RDA announced that it had approved £21.5m of funding to construct the Wave Hub, subject to UK government and EU approval. The Department of Trade and Industry has also committed £4.5m to the project.

According to the South West RDA, Wave Hub could generate £76m over 25 years for the regional economy. It would create at least 170 jobs and possibly hundreds more by creating a new wave power industry in South West England.

The South West RDA estimates that Wave Hub could generate enough electricity for 7,500 homes, saving 24,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year when displacing fossil fuels. This would support South West England's target for generating 15% of the region's power from renewable sources by 2010.

Wave Hub Project manager Nick Harrington from the South West RDA said: ‘Oceanlinx has a proven technology that is sufficiently advanced to take advantage of the unique facilities that Wave Hub will provide, and the company's involvement reinforces Wave Hub's status as a project of international significance.’