Ocean Power Technologies Inc (NYSE-A:OPTT) has announced the deployment of its first PowerBuoy system under a contract with the US Department of Homeland Security, marking an operational milestone for the company’s offshore monitoring technology.
The system has been installed off the coast of California and is intended to support maritime domain awareness efforts for the United States Coast Guard.
According to the company, the deployment represents a transition from development into active mission support for its autonomous offshore infrastructure.
The PowerBuoy platform is designed to provide continuous offshore power, communications, and sensor integration. It enables long-duration, unmanned monitoring of maritime environments, supporting surveillance and data collection activities without the need for constant human presence.
“This successful deployment represents an important step forward in delivering autonomous maritime infrastructure to support critical homeland security missions,” OPT CEO Philipp Stratmann said in a statement.
“Our PowerBuoy platform is uniquely designed to provide persistent offshore power and surveillance capabilities, enabling government agencies to extend their operational reach while reducing the need for costly manned assets.”
Additional deployments are planned as part of the program, with the goal of establishing a network of connected offshore monitoring systems capable of supporting real-time data sharing.
OPT said that it will continue working with DHS and partner organizations to further develop autonomous maritime monitoring solutions aimed at expanding offshore security capabilities.
Shares of OPT moved nearly 2.1% higher on Monday morning.