ABC Interview

Gippsland Rural Report
Keva Gocher, Bega

Water turbine invention in national clean energy award.

A Gippsland inventor featured as one of the 70 innovations considered for a national award for energy reduction.

Sundermann Water Power was one of the 11 finalists up for the Australian Clean Tech Big Ideas Awards held in Sydney last night.

The invention is a low flow water turbine that has application for local and international use on farm or coupled together to power small communities or work sites.

Director of SWP, Leigh Bennett says the invention uses low water flows to create power, and has the economic and financial benefit of reducing heavy reliance on diesel generators.

He says international trials have been successful in showing global application for the 4 tonne units.

"They are a plug-in power as they are dropped into a river stream and immediately start generating power that is free and renewable energy, and it lowers the use of diesel fuels, so we think we have fantastic potential for global application for that."

Mr Bennett says the units can be coupled for larger power production for remote mine or urban sites, and could be part of Australia's aid response to disasters.

Hear the interview in the;
Rural Report with Keva Gocher.