The 826-ton buoy, the OE-35 from Irish firm Ocean Energy, measures 125 feet by 60 feet and is hooked up at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site off the island’s coast. It draws energy from the ocean by using the waves to drive a turbine that generates power. The system has already been tested in Scotland as part of a $12 million project funded by both the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
After final testing, the OE-35 buoy will be connected to Hawaii’s electric grid via undersea cable. While the 1.25 megawatts it can produce will make only a small dent in the state’s energy needs, it’s still progress away from fossil fuels.
“This internationally significant project couldn’t come online at a more critical time for the U.S. and Ireland as the world needs to accelerate the pace of decarbonization with new and innovative technologies,” said Tony Lewis, Ocean Energy’s chief technology officer.
Source: New Atlas
This story originally appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Government Technology magazine. Click here to view the full digital edition online.
