Ocean Power Technologies Inc. (OPT) announced July 2 the electric power grid interface of its PowerBuoy wave energy device has been certified compliant with international standards.
OPT said an independent laboratory, Intertek Testing Services, evaluated OPT systems and certified they comply with international safety standards including UL1741 and IEEE1547. OPT Chief Executive George W. Taylor said the certification further qualifies the technology for integration into utility grid systems.
OPT develops and commercializes proprietary systems that generate electricity from ocean waves. (HNN 5/3/07) It said it received four patents and filed applications for another six in the past six months, in areas of the electronic control system, power take-off, mooring design, and improved hydrodynamic characteristics.
OPT is involved in the 50-MW Reedsport OPT Wave Park (No. 12713), which it is developing with Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative off the coast of Oregon (HNN 2/27/07), a 5-MW project at the Wave Hub test site in southwestern England (HNN 5/14/07), and a 150-kW project at the European Marine Energy Center in Scotland’s Orkney Islands. (HNN 2/22/07)
Oregon Iron Works begins fabrication of Finavera AquaBuOY
Finavera Renewables Inc. reported that Oregon Iron Works in Portland, Ore., has begun fabrication of its AquaBuOY 2.0 wave energy converter. Finavera said it plans to begin deployment of the device later this year at a test site off the Oregon coast.
Test and measurement equipment is to be installed on the AquaBuOY to monitor its operational performance. That information is to form the basis for subsequent development work to optimize design.
Finavera recently said it is working with Oregon State University scientists and engineers to explore wave technology potential. Oregon State received $466,000 from Bonneville Power Administration to help design and build a wave energy conversion device laboratory and an ocean-deployed wave energy device test facility. (HNN 6/12/07)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a preliminary permit in April to Finavera’s AquaEnergy Group Ltd., allowing it to study development of a 300-MW Coos County Offshore Wave Energy Power project (No. 12752). That site is in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Coos County, Ore. (HNN 5/1/07)
