The Oelsner Group is planning on making South Africa home to a 750-MW offshore wave energy project.
The company has proposed that the wave energy project be equipped based upon a local design developed at South Africa’s University of Stellenbosch. It will consist of a partially submerged v-shaped collector arm with a capacity of 5 MW, which could include up to 150 units about 1.5 km from the west coast shore.
This is an ambitious project to say the least. Africa does not house any commercial offshore wind farms at the moment much less incorporating wave energy. Wind energy is far more advanced than wave technology, which is much more costly. The world’s first experimental wave farm came online in Portugal in 2008, but was closed down after only two months as a result of being unable to meet its financial close.
Alternative Energy Africa is trying to reduce its own carbon footprint in 2011. Ask about our electronic subscriptions and online marketing campaigns specially tailored for individual companies.