On July 29, WavEC Offshore Renewables successfully launched the first prototype of the offshore monitoring buoy being developed under the KIC-OTS program in Algés at the mouth of the river Tagus, Portugal.
The operation was a result of two years of research, design and implementation. The buoy has been designed and equipped to aid in the O&M operations of offshore energy parks aiding to optimize costs while also to providing long term data for environmental impact assessment. The focus is on the acoustic component as apart from a custom, low data hydrophone, the product also has an acoustic modeling component.
The prototype will now enter a full test period of all its systems including sensor data acquisition, power, communication (GPRS and VHF) as well as structural design. Later this year it will be deployed offshore for a long term reliability test. This project has six international partners. It is coordinated by EDP Inovagao and Instituto Superior Técnico with development coordination by WavEC.
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