There are several projects slated to tap the state’s energetic ocean.In addition to the Oceanlinx wave energy plants proposed for Pa’uwela Point on Maui’s northern coast, are there any other wave projects in Hawai‘i? Yes, there are. Among the notable activities: wave energy buoy design is being tested in Kane‘ohe Bay, on O‘ahu, and a local marine engineering company has also invented its own wave power device.
The PowerBuoy, a machine developed by Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), is being tested at Kane‘ohe Bay. The original buoy was deployed in 2004, then reworked and redeployed in 2005. A second buoy was put out to sea briefly in 2007; a similar device was tested for more than a year in waters off New Jersey. Although electricity was generated by the devices, it was not delivered to utility grids. A third, improved buoy is expected to be deployed at Kane‘ohe.
The OPT research and development project is being managed by the U.S. Navy and is offshore of the Marine Corps base on Mokapu Peninsula. An Environmental Assessment was completed, indicating no significant impact. Representatives of OPT, the Navy and the Marine Corps also worked closely with the Native Hawaiian community in the area to ensure that any cultural concerns were addressed.
Another local wave energy development is by Navatek, a Honolulu marine technology firm known for a variety of innovations in advanced ship designs. A Navatek employee invented a wave energy conversion device, which was tested as a small-scale model in waters off Honolulu.
Due to the widespread international interest in wave energy, it’s likely that these local projects and the proposed Oceanlinx power plant off Maui will not be the only efforts to tap into Hawai‘i’s energetic ocean.
In partnership with the state’s energy office, the Maui Weekly provides this feature to help Valley Isle homeowners reduce their utility bills and increase their environmental awareness.