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CETO is a wave energy technology that harnesses the power of ocean waves to generate electricity or produce desalinated water. CETO was first conceived by Carnegie Corporation Chairman Alan Burns in Perth, Western Australia.
Australian ASX-listed clean tech developer Carnegie Corporation (ASX: CNM) is currently developing the zero emission CETO Wave Energy technology and will own and operate all commercial CETO wave farms in the Southern Hemisphere. Northern Hemisphere wave farms will be joint ventures between AIM-listed Renewable Energy Holdings and EDF Energies Nouvelles SA (EDF EN). The technology development will be complete in 2009 and the first commercial CETO plant has the potential to be the world’s first commercial, baseload wave power station.
Named after a Greek ocean goddess, the CETO system distinguishes itself from other traditional wave energy devices by being a fully submerged, pumping technology with the power generated onshore (rather than offshore) via a standard hydro-electric turbine system.
Submerged buoys are moved up and down by the ocean swell, driving pumps which pressurize seawater that is delivered ashore via a pipeline. Onshore, the high-pressure seawater is used to drive hydro turbines, generating zero emission electricity.
The high-pressure seawater is 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.
Other wave energy & CETO characteristics include
- Wave energy is a renewable, zero emission source of power.
- 60% of the world lives within 60km of a coast, minimising transmission issues.
- As water is about 800 times denser than air, the energy density of waves exceeds that of wind many times over, dramatically increasing the amount of energy available for harvesting.
- Waves are predictable days in advance, making it easy to match supply and demand.
- CETO sits underwater, moored to the sea floor, meaning there is no visual impact.
- CETO units operate in deep water, away from breaking waves. The waves regenerate once they pass the CETO units, meaning there is no impact on popular surfing sites.
- CETO units are designed to operate in harmony with the waves rather than attempting to resist them. This means there is no need for massive steel and concrete structures to be built.
- CETO is the only wave energy technology that produces fresh water directly from seawater by magnifying the pressure variations in ocean waves.
- Any combination of power and water can be achieved from 100% power to 100% water.
- CETO contains no oils, lubricants or offshore electrical components - it is built from components with a known sub-sea life of over 30 years.
- CETO units act like artificial reefs in the way they attract marine life.