In the not-too-distant-future, Hawaii's world-famous waves may be known for something more than being a prime spot for professional surfers to practice their amazing feats of athletic skill and daring. As it turns out, the same source that generates the "Jaws" of Maui" also has the potential to supply Hawaii -- as well as the rest of the world -- with an excellent platform for renewable energy.
Oceanlinx, an international leader in the emerging technology of wave energy conversion, has recently announced plans to install a 2.7 megawatt wave energy project off the northeast coast of the Hawaiian island of Maui. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy weekly newsletter:
"The $20 million project will include three wave platforms and could be operating by the end of 2009. Each platform will employ oscillating water column technology, in which a cylinder is suspended in the ocean with its open end facing down, trapping air in the top. As waves pass the cylinder, the trapped air is compressed and forced out through a turbine, and in the trough of the wave, air is sucked back through the turbine and into the cylinder. Oceanlinx takes a unique approach to this technology by using a turbine with variable-pitch blades, a variable-speed generator, and a complex control system."
Oceanlinx's announcement of its wave energy project in Maui was made even more important by the fact that it comes on the heels of the "Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative," a partnership with the DOE which is "designed to accelerate the transformation of Hawaii into one of the world's first economies based primarily on clean energy resources." This visionary initiative not only helps to encourage the utilization of clean and renewable energy technologies throughout the United States and other global communities, but also works to further generate an environment of renewable energy-related innovation among various research and development programs such as the Departments of Agriculture and Defense, national research laboratories, and the private sector. With the initiative's purposes in mind, it's important to note that Oceanlinx's wave energy technology reduces the need for fossil fuels, resulting in large reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, while also providing the energy for the production of potable grade water from sea water.
To date, Oceanlinx is currently establishing wave energy projects in five other locations globally, including Portland (Victoria, Australia), Port Kembla (New South Wales, Australia), Namibia, Rhode Island (USA), and the UK.
Image: D'Arcy Norman (Flickr)
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