The M4 Wave Energy Converter (WEC) project was developed to provide open-access data to uplift the industry as a whole, while also demonstrating local capability to construct and operate such a device. The State Government of Western Australia contributed significantly as a funding partner, drawing on skills and contributions from a broad network of partners from across the Blue Economy CRC network and local contractors in Albany. The M4 Wave Energy Converter was selected as the suitable technology because of its open philosophy, proven development track and suitability for the proposed test site in Albany.

The project then undertook in-house development of the WEC to bring it from laboratory scale to the field. Ultimately the 24 m-long WEC was deployed for 131 days at sea over summer 2024-25. As the world’s first open-access wave energy deployment, live data was uploaded to a public website throughout the deployment. Ongoing communication is sharing the lessons learned and prospects for wave energy with a broad audience. Over the summer, M4 experienced maximum wave heights up to 4m, demonstrating the survivability of the M4 concept. Power absorption up to the rated capacity of the device – 20kW instantaneous power – was demonstrated (with accompanying mean power of 2kW over 20min).