Naval Facilities (NAVFAC) Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC) has received Ocean Energy 35 (OE35) wave energy converter (WEC) buoy at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for scheduled testing.
NAVFAC hosted a Hawaiian Blessing ceremony for the OE35, prior to the scheduled installation and testing of the buoy offshore the Base.
The device is currently undergoing testing at the test site. After installation, the OE35 device will be the largest capacity wave energy device installed globally.
The 826-ton buoy measures 125 feet by 59 feet with a draft of 31 feet. Fabricated by Vigor Technologies, the oversized buoy was deployed from its fabrication site in Portland, Oregon, and made its journey to the U.S. Navy Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) located in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
“ The adaption of the OE35 buoy aligns with the Navy’s efforts outlined in our strategic design initiative to maximize naval shore readiness through focusing on maritime operations, product performance and energy security, ” said Kail Macias , NAVFAC EXWC technical director. “The United States Navy is excited to work alongside DOE’s Water Power Program in supporting this first grid-connected test of an oscillating water column buoy at the Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site here in Oahu.”