Café scientifique - August 2022

Riding the wave to a sustainable future

By Pr Christophe Gaudin & Pierre-Yves Duverneuil

 
Marine Energy Research Australia, Albany, Australia

Oceans Graduate School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

Albany, a world-leading research hub in ocean renewable energy.

Marine Energy Research Australia (MERA) is a multidisciplinary research centre which has its headquarters in Albany, southern Western Australia, and operates across the Albany and Perth campus locations of The University of Western Australia. MERA undertakes critical research to commercialise renewable energy from the oceans, in a “Surface to Seabed” approach to ocean engineering challenges: 

Oceanography / Coastal Processes,

Hydrodynamics / Wave-Structure Interaction

Geotechnics / Foundation Design

MERA announced last year the launch of the M4 project, a non-commercial demonstration wave energy attenuator that will be deployed in King George Sound, Albany. The M4 project will support the world first initiative to develop Albany as a test site/market demonstrator and providing new opportunities for industry, research and local supply chains.

A closer look into foundation solutions.

To reduce the cost of foundations in energy projects, the ‘Geotechnics / Foundation Design’ program conducts research to develop foundation solutions that meet the specific requirements of the marine renewable industry. Helical anchors have the potential to provide the offshore industry with a cost effective anchoring system at low carbon footprint. Their installation and sustainability under the rough environmental loading conditions offshore are being investigating at the National Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility (NGCF), a world leading modelling facility in offshore geomechanics.

Come and learn about waves as an alternative energy source in WA and the exiting research conducted locally.