Ocean Power Technologies says that it is a step closer to the deployment of its wave energy converter technology at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) with the achievement of two major manufacturing milestones.
The US-based firm has completed the mechanical elements of the power take-off system for its PB150 PowerBuoy wave energy converter, and has also awarded the steel fabrication contract for the PowerBuoy structure.
The PB150 device – which represents the latest development in the firm’s PowerBuoy product range – is to be deployed at EMEC in Scotland by the end of 2009. The unit will undergo testing before further units are installed in various projects around the world.
The steel fabrication contract has been awarded to Isleburn Ltd, a full service fabrication and engineering company for major offshore structures based near Inverness, Scotland. Once the steel fabrication is complete, the 150 kW PowerBuoy will be fully assembled and ready for deployment at EMEC, where OPT has already secured a 2 MW berth.
Mark R. Draper, Chief Executive Officer of OPT, said: “These two milestones demonstrate significant progress towards the deployment of OPT’s first PB150. This achievement represents a pivotal stage in the Company’s development and that we are on track to achieve our objective of utilizing wave power as an economically-viable source of renewable energy.”
EMEC is the world’s only accredited wave and tidal testing centre and is part of the Scottish government’s plans to make the region a leader in wave and tidal technologies.
Jim Mather, Scotland’s Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, said: “Scotland boasts a quarter of Europe’s wave and tidal resource … I am delighted that Scottish government support is helping to advance the in-ocean demonstration of what will be the world’s largest wave energy device using buoy technology.”
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