Wave power system reaches milestone in the Adriatic Sea
May 13, 2019
Ocean Power Technologies Inc.’s PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea has produced more than one MegaWatt-hour cumulative energy to date.
Offshore staff
MONROE TOWNSHIP, New Jersey – Ocean Power Technologies Inc.’s PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea has produced more than one MegaWatt-hour cumulative energy to date.
The PowerBuoy, a power production and communication platform, has been deployed for six months, operating continuously and error-free while being controlled remotely from the company’s New Jersey facility.
The system is a key part of Eni’s MaREnergy project to demonstrate the suitability of wave-energy renewable technologies in the oil and gas industry. It was selected by Eni’s integrated subsea technology systems team to develop applications for remotely controlled field operations powered by wave energy, including environmental monitoring and offshore asset inspection with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).
The company said the system demonstrated AUV charging capabilities during the recent trials with Eni, successfully sending power and communications to a subsea payload throughout the test period. The PowerBuoy is being tested as a standalone charging station and communications platform to enable the long-term remote operation of AUVs.
