Energias de Portugal has removed its Pelamis wave energy installation from the site of its proposed Agucadoura wave park off the coast of Portugal. The unit experienced a number of technical issues and had to be dismantled after only a few weeks in the water.
According to this article from AFP, here’s what went wrong:
… Read the rest"There was a recurrent problem with the movements of the hydraulic screws in the three machines, and this is
The Australian division of ABB Ltd assisted Oceanlinx in the production of a 250kW Wave Energy Conversion prototype. The prototype is capable of extracting energy from waves and either converting it to electricity for general use or using it to power saltwater desalinization facilities. Oceanlinx developed the technology, but ABB participated in modifications and installation of the Wave Energy Conversion unit hood and steel work.
Oceanlinx’s CEO, Stuart Weylandsmith, complimented ABB on the work it … Read the rest
Ocean Power Technologies just announced that they have appointed Dr. Phil Hart as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. As part of his new position, Dr.Hart will help lead Ocean Power in the development of new and improved PowerBuoy technology and lead additional research projects on wave energy. Before joining Ocean Power Technologies, he worked on research and development for Global Marine Systems. He also has an extensive background in marine technology and engineering. Mark R. … Read the rest
Synergy, the largest utility in Western Australia, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Carnegie Corporation, promising to buy power from Carnegie’s CETO wave energy project once the project is completed. The project is still in the planning stages, and Carnegie is currently in the process of selecting a site. Initially, the CETO project is expected to generate 6 W of energy, but if it’s successful, power generation can be increased later to 50 MW. … Read the rest
A letter of intent has been signed this morning between Lockheed Martin (LMT) and wave energy startup Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) to collaborate in the development of utility scale wave energy in North America. OPTT would provide site development and its PowerBuoy technology while Lockheed Martin would provide construction, systems integration, operation and maintenance services. The two companies have worked together before on maritime surveillance for the Dept of Homeland Security but this marks the … Read the rest
Pacific Gas & Electric briefed Fort Bragg city and county government representatives on their planned WaveConnect wave energy project. Some of the details that emerged from the briefing:
PG & E will pay the city’s wave energy costs.
PG & E will make the results of all environmental studies public.
PG & E is considering 10 different, viable wave technologies and implement a pilot project to test the 3 or 4 that seem most promising.
Ocean Power Tech (OPTT), a wave energy upstart reported earnings this morning well below analyst estimates. While the company reported a record order book, rising from 3.7 million last year to 8 million this year, the interim losses mounted due to higher costs as the company continues to pour money into research.
OPTT posted revenues of $700K which is significantly lower from the year ago quarter when it posted 1.7 million. They attributed the lack … Read the rest
Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) announced last week that it has installed its 3rd PowerBuoy wave energy system in Hawaii near the Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu as part of an ongoing partnership with the US Navy. OPTT monitors its PowerBuoy systems in New Jersey in real time with the use of onboard sensors, but the PowerBuoy has the ability to adjust automatically in changing sea states to produce the most amount of wave … Read the rest
The US Navy is testing a specially designed PowerBuoy from Ocean Power Technologies off the coast of New Jersey, the Wall Street Journal announced. The PowerBuoy, which generates electricity from ocean waves, will be used to power offshore sensors. According to the article, these sensors could be used for "vessel tracking for homeland security, tsunami warning systems, ocean observing systems, and off-shore aquaculture."
The PowerBuoy is expected to be lowered into the ocean Friday, about … Read the rest
Ocean Power (OPTT) has announced that it has deployed its first 40 KW PowerBuoy under contract with Iberdrola about 3 miles off the coast of Spain which represents an important step in the commercialization of wave energy. OPT has a tentative deal to develop 9 additional more powerful versions of the buoy over the next year with the goal of eventually created a wave energy farm in the area capable of generating enough energy to … Read the rest