Inventor's generator fails to make waves with power firm

Electricity company CLP Power said it would have to see more conclusive testing of a wave-powered electricity generator created by a Hong Kong-based inventor before it would consider investing in it.

French inventor Lucien Gambarota and University of Hong Kong mechanical engineering researchers gave the power company a preview of their machine, called the Motorwave, which they say can produce electricity for as little as one cent per kilowatt.

Mr Gambarota is testing the machinery off Po Toi island. His research suffered a serious setback earlier this year when a $100,000 prototype went missing less than 24 hours after he set it up in the sea off the island.

Ngan Chi-cheung, innovation architect of the CLP Research Institute, who watched Mr Gambarota's presentation in a classroom at the university yesterday, said: 'We monitor this type of technology. At the moment there is not enough information to make any decision.'

He said CLP was finding suitable sites to place existing and proven generating technology, such as wind turbines. 'That type of technology is more developed and mature,' he said.

Hong Kong Electric launched Hong Kong's first wind-powered electricity turbine generator on Lamma Island this year, and CLP says it is looking at other potential sites for wind turbines.