Ocean Power Technologies, a leading wave energy technology company, has launched a new technology initiative to enhance the efficiency of the company’s PowerBuoy wave energy system, which will be first showcased in Spain.
OPT’s PowerBuoy system is smart and capable of responding to different wave conditions. It extracts the natural energy in ocean waves and is based on the integration of patented technologies in hydrodynamics, electronics, and energy conversion and computer control systems.
The new system will assess the characteristics of each incoming wave before it reaches the PowerBuoy wave power station, thereby providing more time for the electronic tuning capability to react. This will significantly boost the power output of the PowerBuoy and reduce cost per megawatt hour of energy produced.
This technology, which will be incorporated into OPT’s next generation power conversion control system, will be showcased in a new PB40 PowerBuoy to be installed at an existing mooring site at Santoña, Spain.
OPT will be working with a consortium of European companies and institutions under its existing WavePort project, an initiative of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and innovation.
