OPT Begins Ocean Trials of Wave Energy Generator

 Marine energy technology firm Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) on Monday said it had begun ocean trials of the first of its new generation utility-scale PowerBuoy device, the PB150. The ocean trials are being conducted at a site approximately 33 nautical miles from Invergordon, off ScotlandÂ’s northeast coast, and are expected to last up to three months.

A broad range of operations and functional tests are being performed, examining the response of the PowerBuoyÂ’s structure and mooring system to the waves and the power produced by the on-board generator. A wave data buoy located near the site provides detailed information regarding incoming waves.

The 150-kW-rated device was deployed this April by a team including Scotland-based Global Maritime Scotland Ltd, Port Services Ltd, and OPT, with the support of the Cromarty Firth Port Authority. A second PB150 is now under construction in the U.S. for an anticipated utility-scale project in Oregon, and the company is involved in other planned projects in North America, Australia, Japan, and Europe that would utilize the PB150 PowerBuoy.