A state of the art wave energy device, developed by an Irish company, has arrived in Hawaii where it will be hooked up to the local electrical grid.
The OE 35 Buoy is a hydrokinetic wave converter that was built in Portland, Oregon in the US and designed by Irish wave technology company Ocean Energy.
The massive three-storey-tall floating structure uses wave power to turn turbines that generate electricity.
In October it was launched on its journey from Portland to Oahu, Hawaii where it will be moored at a US Navy test site and hooked up to the electrical grid to provide clean, renewable power for the local community.
A traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony will be held later today to mark the arrival of the OE 35 Buoy.
Speaking ahead of the event, Ocean Energy's CEO, John McCarthy, said: "Over the coming months, the OE 35 Buoy will reach a key milestone, turning the Pacific's wave power to clean energy for the people of Hawaii and opening a brand new chapter in global renewable energy."
The $12m project is part-funded by the US Department of Energy and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
Once 12 months of testing of the OE 35 Buoy is completed in Hawaii, Ocean Energy's long-term plan is to build five units for deployment off the coast of Oregon.
The company said that each deployed commercial device could reduce CO2 emissions by over 3,600 tonnes annually.
