Marine Electronics
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The European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme has awarded a grant valued at 4.5 million Euros to test new wave prediction technology off the coast of Spain. The prediction technology is expected to not only improve the power generation efficiency of wave energy grids, but also provide a framework for the further development of large-scale underwater power and communication networks. Additionally, the effort is expected to lead to the development of more advanced boat navigation technology making boat travel more comfortable, faster and fuel efficient.
The companies involved in the project include Pennington, New Jersey based, Ocean Power Technologies (Nasdaq: OPTT and London Stock Exchange AIM: OPT), considered the world leader in wave energy technology, Iberdrola Renewables (Valencia, Spain), one of the world’s largest wind energy producers, and Fugro OCEANOR (Trondheim, Norway), one of the world’s main providers of environmental monitoring information for oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater and soil. Also on the project is Degima, SA (Cantabria. Spain). That company provides metal working technology for industrial, civil, marine and energy projects.
Research organizations involved in the project include the University of Exeter (Exeter, United Kingdom), the Intelligent Systems Research Institute (Leicestershire, United Kingdom) and The Wave Energy Centre (WavEC) Rua Sa da Bandeira, Portugal). The University of Exeter is world renowned for its research efforts in wave energy as is the Intelligent Systems Research Institute (ISRI).
ISRI, which has over 500 researchers, develops technology for a wide range of applications. One technology that it has is called cleanfilm. Cleanfilm, according to ISRI, is an innovative anti-fouling and drag reducing ship hull protective film. The film is said to increase marine fuel efficiency up to 30 percent. Such a technology, could possible be combined with the wave prediction technology to greatly improve the efficiency of Ocean Technologies’ PowerBuoy devices. These devices convert wave energy to electricity.
The University of Exeter is deeply involved in the business world of wave energy technology. Not only does Ocean Power Technologies sponsor research at the university, but the academic staff at Exeter works with the Peninsula Research Institute of Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE), According to the school, PRIMaRE is “a £15,000,000 collaboration to deliver academic research to the marine renewable industry.” One of PRIMaRE’s current projects is the development of an energy hub off of England’s Cornwall Coast. Ocean Power Technologies also has interests in that project as do several other maritime companies: Oceanlinx, Ocean Prospect and Fred Olsen Ltd.
Although it is not known if the wave prediction technology will significantly improve the energy efficiency of ocean wave generation energy plants, such as Ocean Power Technologies’ PowerBuoy, there is good reason to believe that it will. And one reason is that prediction technology has already been used to lower the costs of generating electricity from the wind. Catch the Wind (Manassas, Virginia) is one company that successfully lowered wind energy costs with a laser-based wind prediction device.
Ocean Power Technologies has indicated that it is aware of wave prediction’s potential to lower energy production costs. On receipt of the award, Charles F. Dunleavy, Chief Executive Officer, commented “This award by the European Commission is a springboard for OPT to further develop our Spanish project and to demonstrate the commercial performance of the PowerBuoy’s proprietary and innovative tuning system. We would like to thank the Commission for this award and we look forward to working with our Consortium partners and the EC to deliver this exciting new PowerBuoy project.”
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