GAEL Force Group, the Inverness-based specialist in marine engineering, equipment and aquaculture, said today it had completed a £900,000 contract for US renewable-energy company Ocean Power Technologies (OPT).
The deal was the first for Gael Force’s SeaLimpet machine and saw three of the 460-tonne mooring devices delivered ahead of OPT’s PowerBuoy wave-energy technology being installed off Oregon’s coast.
Gael Force managing director David Guthrie said: “The versatility and adaptability of the SeaLimpet mean that it has vast potential for both subsea and renewable applications, where low-cost of deployment, accuracy and safety are key drivers.
“It is not a concept but a designed and delivered solution, and we are currently busy on adaptive design and engineering work which will result in the SeaLimpet being deployed in some interesting mooring applications.”
He added: “We are delighted to have delivered our first contract for the SeaLimpet in the energy industry.
“We see a significant market within a range of applications in the subsea and renewable sectors for our product, and the number of international inquiries we have received so far suggests our expectations are justified.”
The SeaLimpet is a cylindrical concrete structure with specially configured chambers which can be flooded with water or evacuated using compressed air, allowing it to be towed, floating, into position.
Gael Force says the device can be used to secure wind, wave and subsea installations to the seabed with “pinpoint accuracy”.