Finavera Renewables Inc. recently announced it has received the go-ahead to begin testing the wave resource off the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C.

The publicly traded company based in Vancouver, B.C., has been granted an Investigative Use Permit for a test site near the town of Ucluelet. Under the permit, Finavera can test the site's wave resource and conduct environmental impact studies for up to two years. If the project proves feasible, it could grow to become the first utility-scale, offshore wave energy project in Canada. Using its patented AquaBuOY technology, Finavera is already developing a two-stage 150-megawatt project in Alberta, as well as projects in the United States, Portugal and South Africa.

The company also filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in October 2006 to build a 1-megawatt offshore power plant in Washington state’s Makah Bay [see "Fivavera fancies Northwest," Sustainable Industries, December 2006]. Finavera has also been granted a preliminary permit to test potential sites for a wave-energy demonstration project in Coos Bay, Ore. In addition to wave energy projects, the company also has wind energy projects planned in Canada and Ireland.