Safety alerts have been sounded after it was revealed a damaged wave energy generator stranded offshore could take up to a year to remove.
Divers and snorkelers were warned of a dangerous vortex which could ‘drag them beneath the surface’ after Oceanlinx’s greenWave generator became stranded during a towing operation gone wrong.
Officials confirmed it could take a year to remove the sizable generator, which is stuck approximately one kilometre off Carrickalinga Beach in the Encounter Marine Park, South Australia.
South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) warned the structure posed a significant safety risk, stating: “The structure is designed to convert wave energy and in certain conditions can create a vortex where snorkellers, divers and swimmers could be dragged beneath the surface.”
Oceanlinx took a significant financial hit after the greenWave incident and the company has since gone into administration.
For more information watch the warning video below