Hurricane Isaias delays OceanBased Perpetual Energy’s testing equipment deployment

OceanBased Perpetual Energy has experienced a delay in testing equipment deployment in the Florida Gulf Stream, due to the Hurricane Isaias.

OceanBased Perpetual Energy, working with FAU’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, was set to deploy a two-year sonar test equipment to find the best location for its ocean energy power generation equipment.

The company plans to develop the technology and manufacturing supply lines, and secure the necessary licensing and permitting to commercialize ocean current energy and change the course for renewable energy as baseload-capable clean power.

“The storm’s approach and aftermath will make it too rough to be out and deploy our testing equipment, which must be in the water to give us the data we need,” said OceanBased vice president David W. House.

“But the batteries are in, the equipment is ready and we’ve booked our vessel and charted the course. So while we were hoping to get data from the first major storm to go through our area, we’ll be ready for the next one.”

Hurricane Isaias made landfall late Monday night near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, National Hurricane Center informed.

According to OceanBased Perpetual Energy’s social media update, one important aspect of the delayed testing will be to measure hurricane effects on water velocity and direction to ensure the company’s power-generation equipment will be able to safely operate in the event of a storm.

The sonar equipment is stored at the FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce waiting its deployment when the weather permits.