Ocean Power Technologies has signed an agreement with Enel Green Power (EGP), a subsidiary of energy company Enel Group
Under the terms of the contract, OPT will evaluate a PB3 PowerBuoy deployment along the coast of Chile through a detailed feasibility study of the PowerBuoy as an offshore autonomous platform hosting oceanographic sensor systems.
“This collaboration with Enel Green Power is a significant opportunity for OPT to play a critical role in the Chilean marine energy market,” stated George H. Kirby, OPT’s president and CEO.
“EGP is a world leader in delivering renewable energy, and this opportunity potentially allows for the PB3 PowerBuoy to be Chile’s first autonomous wave power installation, where new jobs and other economic benefits could eventually be brought to local economies. We also hope to leverage this work to further expand our presence in Chile and throughout South America in areas such as monitoring, surveillance, subsea charging and connectivity for the offshore oil & gas, science & research and telecommunications markets.”
OPT’s feasibility study will assess best transport, deployment and servicing methods using local companies and suppliers, as well as necessary sensors and payloads to be mounted on the PB3 PowerBuoy.