Eni deploys wave power system in the Adriatic Sea

Dec. 21, 2018
Ocean Power Technologies Inc.’s PowerBuoy has been deployed in the Adriatic Sea to advance Eni’s R&D MaREnergy project.

Offshore staff

MONROE TOWNSHIP, New Jersey – Ocean Power Technologies Inc.’s PowerBuoy has been deployed in the Adriatic Sea to advance Eni’s R&D MaREnergy project.

This project aims to develop, deploy, and demonstrate suitability of wave energy renewable technologies in oil and gas operations.

The OPT PowerBuoy will be used in the Adriatic Sea to advance Eni’s research and development of proprietary integrated subsea technology systems to allow future applications for remotely controlled field developments powered by wave energy, environmental monitoring and offshore asset inspection using AUVs. The system will be used to demonstrate subsea battery charging, which eventually may be used to provide a standalone charging station and communications platform that would enable the long-term remote operation of AUVs.

The PB3 PowerBuoy is a power and communication platform for remote offshore applications such as autonomous vehicle charging, meteorological and ocean data collection, subsea equipment powering, and well monitoring for offshore oil and gas operations. It supports a suite of end user selectable mission critical payloads while extending their range of operation, lowering their operational costs, and enabling real-time data transfer and decision making.

The agreement between OPT and Eni provides for a minimum 24-month contract that includes an 18-month PB3 PowerBuoy lease and associated project management. OPT will also provide deployment support, remote data collection and monitoring. At the end of the initial 18-month lease, and upon meeting technical metrics, Eni will have the option to either extend the lease for an additional 18 months or purchase the system.

12/21/2018