Producing electricity while protecting vulnerable coastlines

Professor Richard Manasseh says the project will help protect our vulnerable coastlines.

More than $226 billion of Australian assets are exposed to coastal erosion and flooding, with the cost to protect these assets expected to increase as the impact of climate change continues to be felt around the world.

The three-year project will understand how wave energy converters could switch between modes of protection and regeneration and the impacts this would have on costs and the local environment.

Partnering with industry

The $2 million project is supported by $436,000 in Federal Government funding through the Australian Research Council Linkage grant scheme. The University of Adelaide and UNSW are also collaborating on the project.

Swinburne Chief Scientist Virginia Kilborn says the research shows the importance of partnering with industry to create sustainable solutions to complex problems.

‘By bringing people and technology together, we are creating a local solution that could have extraordinary global ramifications for energy production and the environment,’ Professor Kilborn says.

‘As an organisation that is committed to being carbon neutral by 2025, Swinburne is proud to be working with the community to help drive this important work.’

Moyne Shire Mayor Cr Ian Smith said coastal erosion was one of the key issues council was facing.

‘As a council with a large coastline along the powerful Southern Ocean, we understand all too well the impacts of coastal erosion. We are proud to be partnering with Swinburne to research proactive solutions to this problem.’

Mid West Ports Authority Acting CEO, Damian Tully said, ‘with wave energy having significant impact on the operations at Mid West Ports, we are eager to work with Swinburne on this research project to identify options that could potentially have dual benefit to our coastline and the operating environment at the port’.