據離岸工程網站6月26日消息 海洋能源技術開發商海洋動力技術公司（OPT）已經推出了名為混合動力浮標（PowerBuoy）的最新產品，擴大了產品范圍。

混合動力浮標是一種浮標，為水下和平臺上部應用、數據通信和1.5兆瓦時的標稱能量儲存提供遠程動力。

雖然OPT以其系泊浮式浮標（如OPT PB3動力浮標）而聞名，但這種浮標是一種混合型浮標，這意味著它不一定依賴波浪發電，因為它利用太陽能電池板和斯特林備用發動機為上部或水下有效載荷提供動力。

OPT表示，這種混合動力浮標可以用于監測、監視、海底充電以及連接包括石油和天然氣、科學和研究、水產養殖和電信在內的近海工業。

OPT表示：“在計劃于今年春天對混合動力浮標進行開水試驗之前，正在與潛在的客戶進行討論。”

OPT總裁兼首席執行官George Kirby表示：“我們的團隊設計這款產品是為了滿足眾多潛在客戶表達的海上電力需求。混合動力浮標為我們提供了額外的靈活性，為世界各地的地點設計經濟高效的電力和通信解決方案。”

George Kirby 補充說：“我們所有的客戶都致力于減少溫室氣體排放，提供的解決方案主要包括太陽能和丙烷燃料的備用電源，進一步減少了我們客戶的碳足跡。在整個開發過程中，我們一直與客戶進行的討論表明，我們對混合動力浮標的性能有著真正的預期。”

浮標發電獨立于波浪活動產生，公司認為這使其成為在極端天氣和大浪或平靜、低波浪環境（包括近岸和內陸水體）中發電的理想解決方案。

吳恒磊 編譯自 離岸工程

原文如下：

Ocean Power Technologies Launches Hybrid PowerBuoy

Ocean Power Technologies, an ocean energy technology developer, has expanded its offering with the latest product called the hybrid PowerBuoy.

The hybrid PowerBuoy is a buoy that offers remote power for subsea and topside applications, data communications, and a nominal 1.5-megawatt-hours of energy storage.

While OPT is known for its moored floating buoys - such as OPT PB3 PowerBuoy - that harvest and store wave energy, this buoy is a hybrid, meaning it doesn't necessarily depend on waves to generate power, as it utilizes solar panels and a Stirling backup engine to power topside or subsea payloads.

OPT said that the hybrid Powerbuoy can be used for monitoring, surveillance, subsea charging, and connectivity for offshore industries including oil and gas, science and research, aquaculture, and telecommunications.

"Discussions are underway with prospective launch customers in advance of open water testing of the hybrid PowerBuoy planned for this spring," OPT said.

“Our team designed this product to meet the offshore power needs expressed by numerous potential customers,” said George Kirby, OPT President and Chief Executive Officer. "The hybrid PowerBuoy provides us with additional flexibility in designing cost-effective power and communications solutions for locations around the world."

“All of our customers are focused on reducing greenhouse gasses,” Kirby added. “Offering a solution that incorporates primarily solar with propane-fueled backup power further reduces our customers’ carbon footprint. The discussions we’ve been having with customers throughout development have shown real anticipation for the capabilities of the hybrid PowerBuoy.”

The buoy generates power is generated independently of wave activity which the company believes makes it an ideal solution for powering through extreme weather and heavy seas or in calm, low wave environments, including near-shore and inland bodies of water.