US wave developer Ocean Power Technologies has signed an agreement with Enel Green Power to develop a potential installation off the coast of Chile.

Under the terms of the contract, OPT will evaluate a PB3 PowerBuoy deployment as an offshore autonomous platform hosting oceanographic sensor systems off the South American nation through a detailed feasibility study.

OPT’s study will assess the best transport, deployment and servicing methods using local companies and suppliers, as well as necessary sensors and payloads to be mounted on the PB3 PowerBuoy device.

“This collaboration with Enel Green Power is a significant opportunity for OPT to play a critical role in the Chilean marine energy market,” said OPT chief executive George H. Kirby.

“We also hope to leverage this work to further expand our presence in Chile and throughout South America in areas such as monitoring, surveillance, subsea charging and connectivity for the offshore oil & gas, science & research and telecommunications markets,” he added.

Image: PB3 PowerBuoy (OPT)