History
The NZ Marine Energy Association, Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association (AWATEA) was formed in 2006 by academics, researchers and consultants with an interest in power from the ocean.
One of the first NZ marine energy projects was the Wave NZ development which started in 2011 as a project by IRL. It is now run by Taranaki based marine engineering company EHL and has been renamed to AzuraWave. A half scale device has been deployed in Hawaii for about 12 months and was connected to the grid.
Vision
Here is a brief animation and narration of our Vision for 2030.
The core technologies for AWATEA members are tidal and wave energy. As pathways to commercial markets we see offshore wind, hybrid or integrated solutions as important. Key to success will be commercial applications, starting with niche, small scale solutions. AWATEA members will develop global intellectual property (IP) and offer professional services in the marine energy space.
AWATEA’s Mission is to facilitate a market led marine energy economy in Aotearoa for the benefit of all New Zealanders adhering to Kaitiakitanga of over 10% of Te Moana.
Our Stakeholders
AWATEA is looking to support & facilitate the development of small scale applications for Island Nations. Here are initial concepts.
- wave to water – desalination
- marine power to remote coastal locations
- wave energy for aqua farming
- powering ocean based monitoring devices
- undersea data center
- Green Hydrogen for residential, industrial and transport use
Team
- Martin Knoche – CEO of The Northland Innovation Centre, co-chairman of AWATEA
- Vladislav Sorokin – Senior Lecturer at University of Auckland, co-chairman of AWATEA
- Craig Stevens – Principal Scientist at NIWA
- Charlotte Boys – Strategic Advisor at MPI
- Gareth Gretton – Strategic Advisor at EECA
- Millan Ruka – Environmental River Patrol