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Yuquot, Western Canada where a wave power generation system will be installed / Courtesy of INGINE |
By Yoon Ja-young
Korea's wave power generation system developer INGINE signed a deal to develop an onshore wave energy system in Canada, which will contribute to the supply of renewable and clean energy for a remote First Nations community.
According to INGINE, it inked a deal with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations in Yuquot, Canada, for the installation of an onshore wave energy system as a part of the Yuquot Wave Project.
Supported by the Federal Government of Canada, the Yuquot Wave Project also includes the involvement of the Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) at the University of Victoria, the Barkley Project Group (BPG) and the EDI Environmental Dynamics, as well as the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations and INGINE. After INGINE completes the detailed engineering design, the second phase of the project, which includes construction and commissioning, is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2022.
The contract has symbolic significance for the Korean wave energy developer as it is being recognized internationally for its excellence.
INGINE has a high degree of competitiveness in the sector, as the onshore nature of its wave energy converter, the INWave, makes it well-suited for remote locations. As it lacks access to the central power grid, the Yuquot area located on an island just west of Vancouver Island, currently depends on diesel generators for its electricity supply. The Yuquot Wave Project aims at increasing access to renewable, locally sourced clean energy, while decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, and it is expected to contribute to setting environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) best practice standards for wave energy projects in off-grid and Indigenous communities.
INGINE's technology is getting the spotlight around the world as a key solution to enable the energy transition in many remote areas, such as Ly Son Island in Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province. In November 2019, the company signed a contract with energy group SK Innovation to take part in Vietnam's Zero Carbon Island Initiative, a multi-stakeholder ESG project. The wave energy project here is progressing based on this contract and financial support from SK Innovation. In April 2021, the Ly Son project was selected to receive technical assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).