A new, grid-scale wave energy plant for generating electricity has been put into operation off the coast of Hawaii. According to the developer, this is the first plant of this kind in the world on this scale.

The oceans offer a huge resource for power generation, and companies are finding new ways to harness the power of tides, currents and waves. These include underwater turbines and screw-like concepts, as well as deep-sea wave-harvesting technologies such as those from Ocean Energy USA, part of Ireland’s Ocean Energy Group.

The technology is called OE Buoy and the device itself is OB-35. It is an 826-ton floating power plant measuring 125 by 59 feet, with a draft of 30 feet and a potential output of 1.25 megawatts.

“After over a decade and a half of development, testing, testing and engineering, we are delighted to finally take this important step towards commercialisation with our world-class OE-35 device,” said Professor Tony Lewis, Chief Technology Officer of Ocean Energy, in a statement.

“This internationally significant project could not come online at a more critical time for the US and Ireland as the world needs to accelerate the pace of decarbonisation using new and innovative technologies.”

The buoy consists of a long, backward-facing channel connected to an air chamber with a turbine at the top. As waves push water into the channel, air pressure increases and drives a turbine. As they retreat, a vacuum is created and air rushes in, continuing to turn the turbine in the same direction, providing more continuous power generation.

The OB-35 was deployed on July 19 on the windward coast of the island of Oahu at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site, where it can be connected to the power grid to boost the island’s green energy supply – once initial testing is completed.

These projects complement solar and wind energy and have the potential to provide remote islands and coastal communities with clean, renewable energy that is better for the planet and improves the health of people in the region.

A shining example of this is Hawaii. It is the first state to commit to generating 100% of its electricity from renewable energy, achieving a net negative emissions goal, and enacting the Paris Agreement. The state has even gone so far as to eliminate coal-fired power plants from the equation.

Ocean Energy had the OB-35 built in Oregon and, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), plans to build five more buoys for testing in the nearby city of Newport in the long term.

“Oregon as a state has invested heavily in renewable energy and ocean energy and has done so for the past 15 years,” John McCarthy, CEO of Ocean Energy, told OPB.

“These are power plants, so they will be there for 30, 40, 50 years. So that’s the time span you’re looking at with these devices. These are power plants.”

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