Here’s another case involving “magic pipes” and golden whistles. Atlas Ship Management Ltd., a Turkish corporation, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla. to federal charges of making false statements
Statue Cruises, a subsidiary of Hornblower Cruises & Events., has signed an agreement with Derecktor Shipyards in Bridgeport, Conn., to complete the world’s first hybrid ferry using hydrogen fuel by April 2011.
Wärtsilä is cooperating with Ship Architects, Inc., Daphne, Ala., to bring natural gas fueled propulsion to America’s waterways. The companies have together developed a new concept of towboat design that employs Wärtsilä
Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland Energy Administration yesterday joined BOEMRE to announce that the federal government has accepted the planning recommendations of the Maryland Offshore Wind Task Force and yesterday. Yesterday it issued both a Request for Interest (RFI) and a map of an offshore wind leasing area in federal waters adjacent to Maryland’s Atlantic Coast. Maryland is the second state in the U.S. to reach this point in the process.
“Today’s announcement marks another step forward for Maryland’s new economy,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “By harnessing the outstanding wind resources off of Maryland’s coast, we can create thousands of green collar jobs, reduce harmful air pollution, and bring much needed, additional clean energy to Maryland.”
Governor O’Malley has made offshore wind a priority in Maryland’s efforts to generate 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2022, citing the potential for job creation and the abundant wind resources available. A one gigawatt offshore wind farm off of the Maryland coast could create as many as 4,000 jobs in manufacturing and construction during the five year development period, with an additional 800 permanent jobs once the turbines are spinning.
Yesterday’s announcement follows nearly two years of planning. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources worked with the Maryland Energy Administration, the Maryland Offshore Wind Task Force, and other outside partners like the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative and Environmental Research, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the various environmental and stakeholder concerns that would impact any proposed offshore wind development. The result was a draft marine spatial planning area that represented the collective input of federal, state, and local stakeholders and formed the basis for the map released by BOEMRE.
The western edge of the RFI area for proposed wind generation is located approximately 10 nautical miles from the Ocean City coast and the eastern edge is approximately 27 nautical miles from the Ocean City coast.
Maryland offshore wind advocates say the state’s proximity to planned wind farms in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as the deep water port and manufacturing infrastructure in Baltimore, position it to be a leader not only in offshore wind energy generation, but also in ongoing construction and maintenance.
This summer, Governor O’Malley and Delaware Governor Jack Markell wrote to President Obama proposing a federal-state partnership for the development of a power purchase agreement for offshore wind energy. The development of one gigawatt of wind energy in the mid-Atlantic region could lead to the creation of thousands of clean energy jobs.
Also this summer, Governor O’Malley formally entered Maryland into a formal partnership in the newly formed Atlantic Offshore Wind Consortium. The group, comprising states along the Atlantic coastline and the United States Department of the Interior, will work to coordinate regionally prominent issues surrounding the development of off shore wind along the Atlantic outer continental shelf.
“Thanks to Governor O’Malley’s leadership Maryland is exceptionally well positioned to become leader in the emerging offshore wind industry, which has the potential to create or secure thousands of jobs and keep Maryland Smart, Green, and Growing,” said Malcolm Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration.
The agreement covers development of OPT’s PowerBuoy technology for application in Japanese sea conditions.
OPT’s PowerBuoy wave generation system uses a “smart,” ocean-going buoy to capture and convert wave energy into low-cost, clean electricity. The rising and falling of the waves offshore causes the buoy to move freely up and down and the resultant mechanical stroking is converted via a power take-off to drive an electrical generator. The generated power is transmitted ashore via an underwater power cable.
A 10 MW OPT power station would occupy only approximately 30 acres (0.125 square kilometers) of ocean space.
Under this new contract, the two companies will work together to develop a new mooring system for OPT’s PowerBuoy, customized for wave power stations off the coast of Japan. The new system will undergo testing at MES’s wave tank facilities to verify the results of extensive computer modeling. OPT expects to receive 18 million yen (approximately $220,000) for its development efforts. Work under this agreement is expected to be performed over the next six months.
In October 2009, OPT and a consortium of MES, Idemitsu Kosan Co., and Japan Wind Development Co. signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of wave energy in Japan. OPT and members of the consortium have since worked with the Japanese government to increase recognition of wave power in Japanese energy policy.
The Japanese government has pledged to target a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020 as part of its intentions to boost renewable energy sources to about 10 percent of primary energy supply by 2020. The Japanese government has specifically targeted wave energy as a component of this strategy.
Now OPT and MES intend to complete work on the mooring system and find a project site for an in-ocean trial of the PowerBuoy system.
OPT’s CEO, Charles F. Dunleavy, said: “We are very pleased to continue to build on our relationship with MES. This new agreement is consistent with OPT’s global strategy to form alliances with strategic partners in key markets. We believe working with MES will facilitate the realization of the great potential of wave power as a concentrated and predictable source of renewable energy for Japan.”
Ryoichi Jinkawa, Managing Director of the Business Development and Innovation Headquarters of MES, said: “We continue to be impressed with OPT’s technical strength and in-ocean experience. MES is very excited by the great business opportunity resulting from our relationship with OPT. We look forward to continuing to work with OPT in making our common vision of increasing the use of renewable energy a reality.
November 8, 2010
