A project to harness wave energy on the Chatham Islands has secured funding from the government’s Marine Energy Deployment Fund.

Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today that Chatham Islands Marine Energy Ltd (CHIME) has been awarded $2.16 million for the project, subject to conditions including receiving resource consent.

The project’s two 110 kw turbines, to be installed on the south-west coast of the main island, are expected to be able to supply more than half the island’s electricity needs.