Wave Energy Device Deployed Off Oregon Coast

NEWPORT, Oregon, September 17, 2007 (ENS) - Finavera Renewables Inc. has successfully deployed and commissioned the first commercial scale wave energy converter off the west coast of North America.

The company plans the phased installation of a multi-device wave park and commercial electricity generation by 2010.

The wave energy converter, called the AquaBuOY 2.0, is situated two and a half miles off the coast of Newport, Oregon.

Energy transfer takes place by converting the vertical component of wave kinetic energy into pressurized seawater by means of two-stroke hose pumps, the company explains.

The AquaBuOY 2.0 wave energy converter off the coast of Oregon (Photo courtesy Finavera Renewables)

The power is transmitted to shore by means of a secure, undersea transmission line.

Over the next few weeks, Finavera Renewables will test and analyze the performance of the Aqua Buoy’s components and monitor its hydraulic power output.

During this phase, all onboard diagnostic equipment will be powered by an onboard Pelton turbine as well as solar panels and small wind turbines installed on the device.

Data is being streamed live via wireless and satellite technology for analysis. This test data will be used for the next design iteration of the wave energy converter, with an anticipated deployment in 2008.

Finavera Renewables CEO Jason Bak said, "The mooring and successful commissioning of the AquaBuOY 2.0 is a momentous achievement for Finavera Renewables and the ocean energy industry as a whole."

"The capture of renewable wave energy will play a significant part in the emerging new energy economy and has the potential to power millions of homes in the United States alone," said Bak.

The company is developing wave energy projects for AquaBuOY use in the United States, Portugal, South Africa and Canada.

A cluster of AquaBuOYs would have a low silhouette in the water the company says. Located several miles offshore, the power plant arrays would be visible to allow for safe navigation yet no more noticeable than a small fleet of fishing boats.

The high visibility of wind turbines has impeded the growth of off-shore wind energy developments, because some say they mar the view.

Wave energy as a new technology is growing by leaps and bounds.

Last week in Porto, Portugal, the 7th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference drew more than 300 participants from Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, China, Canada and Hawaii.

Places with strong large wave-energy resources, such as Hawaii and Ireland, have been checking out the possibilities. The U.S. Electric Power Research Institute explained at the conference that wave energy now can be forecast with two-day accuracy, using NOAA Wave Watch III.

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