The State Government has welcomed the opening of The University of Western Australia’s Great Southern Marine Research Facility as a hub for wave and marine renewable energy research and technology.
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan officially opened the facility today in the heart of Albany.
The facility houses the Wave Energy Research Centre, which brings together wave energy expertise, research and development, with $3.75 million funding support from the State Government.
Wave energy industry representatives from across Australia and the world were represented and had material on display at the Open Day.
Located in the old railway station and previous Visitor Centre building on Proudlove Parade, the facility has been refurbished by UWA and will act as a shared space from which a range of wave, marine and renewable energy research can be undertaken.
Data on marine and coastal conditions collected through the Albany Wave Energy Project and a range of geophysical, ecological and bathymetric surveys has been made freely available to the public and to any developer interested in deploying their technology in the region.
Core research in the field of hydrodynamics is underway that will develop wave prediction models that can optimise real-time tuning of wave energy devices, and UWA is exploring cost‑effective foundation and anchoring solutions specific to the marine renewable energy industry.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
“The Great Southern region is home to one of the most consistent and reliable sources of wave energy in the world.
“This research and technology hub, based in the heart of Albany, will provide opportunities for technology developers, researchers, marine scientists and the international and local community to better understand the wave resource and conditions in Western Australia.
“The centre is bringing highly skilled people to the Great Southern to work out of the new office space and is driving new research collaborations.
“I commend the team at UWA for their commitment to research which will help us move closer to harnessing wave energy.”
As stated by Albany MLA Peter Watson:
“The McGowan Government’s investment in this facility is bringing world-class researchers and scientists into Albany, helping our city become a hub for marine research and development.
“Congratulations to UWA on bringing this facility to this point and providing an opportunity for the Albany community to learn about our region’s marine capabilities at the Open Day today.”
