Waves Power US Grid for the First Time

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) claims the US's first-ever grid connection for a wave energy device.

September 28, 2010 | 2 Comments

OPT's PB40 PowerBuoy was hooked up to the grid at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii as part of the firm's programme with the US Navy to test wave energy technology. The connection demonstrates the device's ability to produce utility-grade renewable energy that can be transmitted to the grid according to international and national standards, says the firm.

“Grid connection is another significant milestone in demonstrating the potential for commercial status of our PowerBuoy technology,” said OPT’s CEO Charles F. Dunleavy.

The PowerBuoy was deployed three-quarters of a mile off the coast of Oahu in December 2009 at a depth of 100 feet. Since then the device has produced power from more than 3 million power take-off cycles and 4,400 hours of operation.

The project has also undergone extensive environmental assessment by an independent environmental firm in accordance the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) that resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), says OPT.

2 Comments

Arkady Dashevsky
October 3, 2010

Standard Tide Power Station (TPS) on Rance river in Brittany, France, built on massive concrete foundation already paid itself off and producers one percent of France power. So, TPS built at nine sq. mile basin, produces 600 GWh of cheapest energy. Note, that this station is built in a standard way, using massive and expensive concrete foundation. Scotland, I believe engineers, developed as it called Nautricity foundation-less Tide turbines. Now imagine that new TPS is built using Nautricity's devices, saving tremendous amount of time and money in the San Fransisco Bay, that has at least 20 times bigger basin. Cheap Power will avalanche use of electrical motors instead of gasoline in transportation/industry. New Power Transmittance Lines, Power Distribution devices would be needed. This would involve intensive hiring. Moneys are cheap today. So issuance of a bond one percent above prime wold bring a lot of private investors. ... Mr. Pratt, do you have a Sales Engineering staff? Our friendly sheiks, instead of planning new 9/11 and training Iraq/Afghanistan fighters would have to send their brave horsemen to China to sell oil-barrels from the saddle. But China already is building huge Hydro Power Station on Yangtze River to produce cheap Power and stop killing floods. It would not hurt USA to do the same with Missouri River, other deadly flooded areas of the country. Ms. Whitney made miracle with E-Bay. So, may be building San Francisco TPS, starting TPS generator producing plants would be her answer to high California unemployment and needed step to win the Governor election? But please, do not outsource TPS generator wiring jobs to China, like they did it with Wind PS. Amerioca needs jobs Now.

ANONYMOUS
September 29, 2010

Excellent news. OPT is executing according to their long-term plan. That may not be fast enough for some investors, but if OPT doesn't prove this step-by-step, we'll never have a technology that can produce power from ocean waves and currents.