OPT power for Oregon

24 July 2006

Ocean Power Technologies, the world’s first publicly listed wave power company, has applied for permission to build the first utility scale wave power project in the US.

The application to the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is for a 50MW wave power generation project in Oregon. As part of the initial programme for the OPT Wave Park, the company expects to install its ocean-tested PowerBuoys initially generating 2MW approximately 2.5 miles off the coast at a depth of 50 metres. Approval for the full-scale 50MW wave power plant will follow completion of this initial programme.

OPT’s PowerBuoys proprietary technology is based on an ‘intelligent’, modular structure capable of responding to differing wave conditions.

The company’s PowerBuoy technology was recently cited in US Congressional hearings in support of increasing funding for ocean energy demonstration programmes. Representatives proposed an amendment to the Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) Act which would increase the funding for ocean energy programmes from $6m to $20m per year.