C-Power links up with Birns for SeaRAY AOPS demo

Columbia Power Technologies (C-Power) has teamed up with US-based designer of connector systems Birns to support the upcoming demonstration of its SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system (AOPS).

Birns is supplying BIRNS Millennium subsea connectors and cable assemblies for the SeaRAY AOPS, planned for deployment in summer 2021 at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Hawaii.

The company developed custom electro-optical high-voltage cable assemblies for energy transfer and charging of autonomous underwater vehicles and seafloor data-gathering systems, as well as real-time data delivery for the SeaRAY system.

The AOPS is an integrated offshore power generation, energy storage, data server, and communications system for support of unmanned mobile and static assets.

It provides energy and bidirectional data transfer, which are essential for customers seeking to reduce costs, improve safety and unlock a wave of innovative capabilities for resident vehicles, sensor packages, and operating equipment.

Eric Birns, president and CEO of Birns, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting C-Power’s efforts in this groundbreaking project. It’s exciting to see the development of a sustainable energy solution that supports such a wide-ranging suite of offshore applications”.

Reenst Lesemann, C-Power’s CEO, added: “The goal of the SeaRAY AOPS technology is to provide energy and data capabilities and services for our customers. Delivering this robust system requires the sophistication and expertise of partners like Birns. We’re excited to work with Birns and our industry-leading partners to advance the future of the ocean economy toward a safer and less capital- and carbon-intensive tomorrow”.

The SeaRAY AOPS at WETS is a moored configuration consisting of a surface wave energy converter; a single, combined mooring, data, communications and power cable; and a seafloor base unit that provides 50kWh of energy storage for payload operation.

The SeaRAY device, which will support several payloads during the deployment, has been developed under a sponsored research and development program by the U.S. Department of Energy.