Ocean Power Technologies wins $900,000 contract from MES in Japan
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTT) (“OPT” or “the Company”), a leading wave energy technology company, today announced that the Company has received a ¥70 million (approximately US $900,000) contract from Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (“MES”) for further work towards development of the Company’s PowerBuoy technology for application in Japanese sea conditions, the OPT press release said.
Under this contract, OPT will continue to analyze methods to maximize buoy power capture using advanced optimization methodologies as well as modeling and wave tank testing. OPT will team with MES staff to develop PowerBuoy enhancements that, under normal Japanese wave conditions, would provide for improved power capture. This analysis and design work is expected to be completed by the end of OPT’s fiscal year ending April 30, 2013 after which a decision will be made on the next steps toward ocean trials of a demonstration PowerBuoy system. This would provide the basis for a prospective build-out of a commercial-scale OPT wave power station in Japan.
“We are very pleased to announce this additional work with our partner in Japan, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding,” said Charles F. Dunleavy, Chief Executive Officer of OPT. “Ocean Power Technologies is viewed throughout the globe as a leader in the area of wave power generation, and we believe Japan is a nation that can clearly benefit from our unique ocean-based energy technology. We appreciate the trust that MES has placed in us and the progress this represents towards bringing utility-scale wave power to the Japanese people.”
Mr. Hirotaka Ohashi, Deputy General Manager of Business Development and Innovation at MES, added, “As we remember the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that had such a devastating impact on the nuclear power industry in Japan, we are working with Ocean Power Technologies to commercialize ocean-based clean energy alternatives. We have several years of experience with OPT and respect the position their technology holds in the market. Working together, we look forward to bringing a series of new PowerBuoys to Japan."
The Japanese Environment Minister has recently released Japan’s new strategy to increase the present generating capacity of renewable energy in Japan by more than six times. The Japanese government specifically identified wave energy as a key component of this policy, setting a goal of 1,500 MW in new power generation capacity by 2030 using wave and tidal power sources.
About Ocean Power Technologies
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTT) is a pioneer in wave-energy technology that harnesses ocean wave resources to generate reliable and clean and environmentally-beneficial electricity. OPT has a strong track record in the advancement of wave energy and participates in an estimated $150 billion annual power generation equipment market. OPT’s proprietary PowerBuoy® system is based on modular, ocean-going buoys that capture and convert predictable wave energy into clean electricity. The Company is widely recognized as a leading developer of on-grid and autonomous wave-energy generation systems, benefiting from 15 years of in-ocean experience. OPT is headquartered in Pennington, New Jersey, USA with an office in Warwick, UK and operations in Melbourne and Perth, Australia.
About Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
The principal business of Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding ("MES") is machinery and shipbuilding. With annual revenues in excess of $8.0 Billion, MES' activities include manufacturing and sales of various types of industrial machinery, such as engines, boilers, gas turbines and robotic systems, and plant construction for water and waste treatment facilities, bridges, and watergates. Its shipbuilding business comprises a broad array of natural resource carriers and hull tankers. MES is a publicly-held company with over 10,000 employees.