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Oceanlinx to Provide Wave Energy for Maui

February 8, 2008 | 4 Comments

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Honolulu, Hawaii [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Oceanlinx Limited, an Australia-based high-tech company, has formally announced plans to provide electricity to Maui Electric Company from Hawaii's first wave energy project. The project will provide up to 2.7 megawatts (MW) of energy from two to three floating platforms located one-half to three-quarters of a mile to the north of Pauwela Point on the northeast coast of Maui.

"We are very pleased to be a part of Hawaii's move to increase its production of electricity from clean energy sources. The Oceanlinx technology is an ideal fit for Maui, with its excellent wave climate, and we hope to be able to continue working with Hawaii on wave energy projects in the future."

--David Weaver, CEO, Oceanlinx

The project will include three wave platforms and could be operational by the end of 2009. The cost, to be absorbed by Oceanlinx and its investors, is estimated at $20 million. Oceanlinx has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Renewable Hawaii, Inc., an unregulated subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company, for possible passive investment in the project.

“We are very pleased to be a part of Hawaii's move to increase its production of electricity from clean energy sources. The Oceanlinx technology is an ideal fit for Maui, with its excellent wave climate, and we hope to be able to continue working with Hawaii on wave energy projects in the future,” said David Weaver, executive chairman and CEO of Oceanlinx.

Ocean Energy

4 Reader Comments

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1 of 4

adrian-akau-36758

February 8, 2008

<p>Maui no ka oi (Maui is the best) has been the saying for many years. Lahaina, Maui even used to be the capitol in the whaling days. Now we see, for the first time, the implementation of wave energy for commercial purposes in the state of Hawaii. It is a very good sign and provides an example for all the other islands as well as coastline sites accross the world to follow. </p><p>adrianakau2aol.com</p>

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paul-johnson-34828

February 13, 2008

How does this cost compare to a wind project in the same area?

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3 of 4

william-hughes-66196

February 13, 2008

Do many of you remember from some 40 or so years ago the bobbing ducks that were being developed in England to extract wave energy.  The design was submitted to the appropriate department of the government for evaluation and they trashed (dissed) the idea.  The rumor was that much later, someone looked at the analysis and found they had made a decimal error which reduced the estimated power by an order of magnitude.  Is this an urban legend or has someone else heard the story.

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lucia-margheritini-138186

April 13, 2008

I have heard that the ducks were working very well but I ignore the reason why the project have been trashed. Documents can be found on Edimburgh University link.

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