OPT's PowerBuoy wave generation system uses a "smart," ocean-going buoy to capture and convert wave energy into low-cost, clean electricity. The rising and falling of the waves off shore causes the buoy to move freely up and down and the resultant mechanical stroking is converted via a sophisticated power take-off to drive an electrical generator. The generated power is transmitted ashore via an underwater power cable.
According to OPT, a 10-MW OPT power station would occupy only approximately 30 acres (0.125 square kilometres) of ocean space.
The DOE grant will help fund the scale-up of the power output per PowerBuoy from the current level of 150kW to 500kW, and is the second grant OPT has been awarded by the DOE. Previously, OPT received $2 million to provide funding for the construction of a PB150 PowerBuoy to be deployed in connection with a commercial US wave energy farm off the Oregon coast at Reedsport.
OPT has chosen Oregon Iron Works to construct what will be its first commercial wave energy PowerBuoy system in North America. Nine additional PowerBuoys will be constructed and installed under the second phase of the Reedsport project. On completion, the wave park will deliver renewable power to the Pacific Northwest electric grid. Each PB150 PowerBuoy has a maximum sustained generating capacity of 150 kilowatts.
It is estimated that this project will deliver approximately 4,140 MWh/year of electricity to the grid based on the wave resource at this location, or enough to power up to 375 homes. The company also estimated that the electricity generated by OPT’s clean, renewable PowerBuoy system will displace 2,110 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. The Reedsport preliminary permit application can accommodate up to 50 MW for potential future expansion at this site.
EU funding also received for a project in Spain
Ocean Power Technologies was also recently awarded €2.2 million ($2.99 million) under the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for work on the WavePort project in Spain.
In July 2006, OPT formed a joint venture with Iberdrola S.A., global oil major Total, the Spanish Government IDAE (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving), and the local regional development agency SODERCAN, for the turnkey construction of a wave farm off the north coast of Spain.
The project will be completed over three phases. The first phase of the project includes the deployment of the PB40 enhanced PowerBuoy. The next phase of the project includes the Underwater Substation Pod (USP) to collect, network and transform power, followed by the final phase: a 6 km subsea cable to deliver the grid-quality energy to the electricity network.
For additional information:
__________________________________
