BIOPOWER SYSTEMS COLLABORATES WITH CITY OF SAN
FRANCISCO ON WAVE ENERGY PROJECT
Sydney, Australia; 22 October 2009: Australia’s ocean energy company, BioPower Systems,
today announced that it had entered into a collaborative agreement with the City of San Francisco
to investigate the generation of wave energy from the Pacific Ocean.
Under the agreement, BioPower will work with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
(SFPUC) to assess the feasibility of a project located eight kilometres (five miles) off San
Francisco’s western beaches with a generating capacity of between 10MW and 100MW. The
proposed Oceanside Wave Energy Project would consider installation of a wave farm using
BioPower’s modular wave energy system, bioWAVE™.
John Doyle, Acting Manager of Infrastructure at the SFPUC, said that the project has the potential
to add yet another source of renewable energy to the City's power network. "The feasibility of
ocean waves as an energy source is being considered and this could lead to further project
development".
Pending the results of a feasibility study, BioPower and the City of San Francisco will work
together to develop the project aimed at supplying clean renewable electricity into the City’s
power grid by 2012.
The bioWAVE™ system is designed to supply utility-scale grid-connected renewable energy
while being out of view, and without affecting marine life. The unique system sways in tune with
the forces of the ocean, and naturally streamlines when extreme conditions prevail, leading to
cost-competitive lightweight designs. Multiple bioWAVE™ devices, each with a capacity of 1MW,
would be installed as an undersea wave energy farm, with the combined power output supplied to
the on-land grid via subsea cable.
BioPower’s CEO, Dr Tim Finnigan, said the collaboration was further endorsement of the clear
potential of the company’s proprietary technology.
“Due in large part to Mayor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, San Francisco is set to become the
model for renewable-powered cities of the future. It comprises an environmentally aware
populace that is supportive of renewable energy alternatives as long as they prove to be cost
effective, reliable, and non-intrusive.
“We have already assessed the potential for economic energy production using bioWAVE™ at
the proposed project site, and the results are very promising. We are confident that our
collaboration with the City of San Francisco will translate into substantial economic and
environmental benefits,” Dr Finnigan added.
About The City and County of San Francisco
San Francisco was incorporated as a City on April 15th, 1850 by act of the Legislature. Although
City Government has played a key role in San Francisco's development, the true wealth of this
City resides with the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of its pioneering Citizens. The City today
is governed by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. The San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission is a public agency of the City and County of San Francisco that provides water,
sewage, and power services to 1.6 million customers within three San Francisco Bay Area
counties.
About BioPower Systems
Australia’s ocean energy company, BioPower Systems, is commercialising wave and tidal energy
systems that incorporate revolutionary designs based on the concept of biomimicry. BioPower is
designing its systems to naturally avoid extreme ocean forces, using light-weight construction,
resulting in anticipated cost savings. The proprietary bioWAVETM
and bioSTREAM™
technologies are designed to have a combination of lighter, more resilient structures to deliver
both lower capital costs and lower energy generation costs.
(ends)
Media Contact:
Sabine Prill
BioPower Systems Pty Ltd
Suite 213, National Innovation Centre
Australian Technology Park
4 Cornwallis St
Eveleigh NSW 2015
Australia
T: +61 (0)2 9209 4237
F: +61 (0)2 9209 4232
E: sprill@biopowersystems.com
NEWS 
