Irish Company Deploys Utility-Scale Wave Energy Device Off Hawaii

Ocean Energy USA, a subsidiary of Irish-based Ocean Energy, has deployed its 1.25 MW-rated wave energy device at the US Navy's Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Hawaii.

The 826-ton wave energy device, dubbed OE-35, will be connected to the Hawaiian electricity grid by subsea cable in the coming weeks, following the completion of commissioning and testing activities onsite.

The utility-scale wave energy device measures 125 by 59 feet, has a draft of over 30 feet, and a potential rated capacity of up to 1.25 MW in electrical power production.

It is located north of Mōkapu Peninsula, at the WETS site in Kaneohe Bay, having been towed there from Honolulu on July 19, 2024.

The $12million project is part‐funded by the US Department of Energy's office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), under an agreement committing the US and Irish governments to collaborating on marine hydrokinetic technologies.

"Following over a decade and a half of design, trials, testing and building, we are excited finally to be able to take this major step towards commercialization with our world-class OE-35 device.

“This internationally significant project couldn't come online at a more critical time for the US 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.