Marine Energy

The waves and tides in New Zealand’s energetic coastal environment are a world-class resource for energy conservation.

International research and development are underway, devising technologies to extract energy from waves and tides. Such technologies could play an important role in New Zealand's future energy supply portfolio.

Marine Energy Fund

The Marine Energy Deployment Fund has been set up to bring forward the development of marine energy in New Zealand, by supporting the deployment of generating devices.

A generating device is a machine that converts wave or tidal stream energy into electricity.

The Fund will provide grants to deploy devices in the New Zealand marine environment to provide information and practical experience.

Grants of up to $2 million a year will be made for four years.

Applications to the fund will be assessed by an expert panel, with grants offered to projects that best meet a number of criteria.

Applications for Funding Round One (2007/08) closed on 29 February 2008 and decisions are expected to be made by May 2008.

Download further information including the criteria in the Definition Document [PDF 888 KB]

If you are considering applying to the fund you will also need to read the Guidance notes for Applicants:

Download the Guidance notes for Applicants [PDF 768 KB]

Successful applicants will be required to sign a grant contract with EECA prior to any funding being released to them.

To assist applicants a draft contract is available to download. It provides a preliminary indication of the type of contractual arrangements which EECA envisages entering into with the successful applicant or applicants. However, as a negotiation process will be involved, aspects of the draft contract may change.

Download the draft contract [Word 113 KB]