PM Transcripts

Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia

Gillard, Julia

Period of Service: 24/06/2010 - 27/06/2013
Release Date:
16/07/2012
Release Type:
Media Release
Transcript ID:
18698
Released by:
  • Minister for Defence
Wave energy comes to Garden Island, Perth

The Department of Defence and Carnegie Wave Energy have signed power supply and grid connection agreements which will allow Defence to purchase all the electricity produced by a wave power facility to be established on Garden Island, the home of HMAS Stirling.

The project will create 25 jobs within Carnegie and 100 more in manufacturing and construction by making use of the powerful swell off the back of Garden Island to help power the biggest naval base in Australia.

As our nation moves to a clean energy future, clean energy projects like this one are expected to bring jobs and investment to Australia.

The carbon price will provide an incentive for businesses to invest in more projects like this one in the years ahead.

It is estimated that the global wave energy sector will be worth US$760 billion by 2050 and annual revenue from the sector will be $100 billion by 2025.

With the clean technology industry gathering pace globally, it's important that Australian businesses are positioned to take advantage of the surge in investment.

Construction of the wave power facility at HMAS Stirling is expected to start later this year, with wave-driven power expected to be supplied before the end of next year.

When up and running, the project will provide HMAS Stirling with up to 1.25 megawatts of Greenpower per day, expected to save approximately 2.6 million kilograms of carbon emissions over five years.

The $31.5 million Perth Wave Energy Project is a joint venture with the Western Australian Government and private investors, to which the Federal Government has previously committed $9.9m under the under its Emerging Renewables Program.

18698