A one-year study has confirmed Bermuda is capable of drawing a significant portion of its energy from the ocean.According to local firm Triton Renewable Energy Ltd, the findings from a marine monitoring buoy open the way for “informed development” of a commercial project to bring in 20 megawatts of electricity — as much as one-fifth of what the Island consumes — from one of its few abundant resources.A site to anchor the “farm” of submerged buoys has yet to be found. If deployed successfully, the renewable-energy technology may also supply desalinated water.The announcement was met with approval by Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce Chairman Stuart Hayward, who called on Government to adopt “a more assertive thrust” in encouraging energy conservation as well as environmentally friendly strategies.Bermuda, Mr Hayward noted, is “a leading per-capita consumer of energy with a very large carbon footprint”.Environment Minister Marc Bean said the project’s success would bring the Island “ever closer to our Energy White Paper targets of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels”.Among Government’s goals set in that document, released last year, is cutting Bermuda’s carbon dioxide emissions drastically by 2020.Triton managing director Tim Hasselbring said the Bermuda Wave Project could also deliver jobs and “freshwater security”, as well as cutting the Island’s dependence on imported oil.The technology, which would be supplied by project partners Carenegie Wave Energy Limited, uses the tugging of wave action on sunken buoys to drive pumps on the seabed.A pipeline sends the pressurised seawater to hydroelectric generators on the land.In the process, the compressed water could also yield fresh water, through reverse osmosis — alleviating another pressing need onshore.“As a densely populated isolated oceanic island with a sophisticated infrastructure, Bermuda has limited natural resources that we can call upon,” Mr Hasselbring said. “What we do have, in constant motion day and night, is ocean swell.”Carnegie, an Australian firm, said its Perth Wave Energy Project recently secured US$16 million in grant funding from the Australian government.The local monitoring buoy, known as a Triaxys Directional Wave Buoy, was on loan from the company, and as part of the first detailed study of Bermuda’s “wave regime” it has been left anchored since April, 2011 in 80 ft of water, roughly one mile off Cooper’s Island, St David’s.Triton, long a proponent of wave energy, saw the wave project chosen in 2009 by Belco as one of the power company’s preferred renewable energy projects.Other partners in the Bermuda project are the airport’s Ground Electronics Services, and Bermuda Weather Service, or BAS-Serco Ltd.In its next phase, the project will employ its study results to find the Island’s best locations for “farming” energy from the sea.Mr Hayward said that BEST had examined the wave-driven technology a couple of years ago.“At the time I thought the concept was quite sound: using hydraulics to avoid having electrical circuits located in proximity to the ocean; having the wave ‘catching’ units far enough below sea level to avoid conflict with vessels or water recreation activities, and having few moving parts under water thus minimising maintenance activities and costs.”As one of the world’s leading consumers of energy, Bermuda has “much room for review and reform” of its policies and practices, Mr Hayward added.“For example, recent relaxation of limits to the size and power of vehicles sent a wrong message about energy consumption, and also had the unintended consequence of facilitating excessive vehicular speed on our roads.“We would like to see a more assertive thrust by our leaders to encourage energy conservation as a principled responsibility alongside the embracing of renewable and environmentally friendly energy technologies.”As for finding an offshore plot for a “farm” of underwater buoys, Triton said in a statement this weekend: “This will be done in full consultation with the Bermuda Government and wider Bermudian community.”www.tritonrenewableenergy.com–www.carnegiewave.com.