Oregon State University has submitted a draft licence application to the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the 20MW Pacific Marine Energy Center South Energy Test Site (PMEC-SETS).

The application kicks off a 90-day public consultation period before a final application for a 25-year licence is due to be submitted to FERC by the year-end.

The site, located around seven miles off the coast of Seal Rock, is due online in 2022.

“Submitting the draft licence application is an important milestone for this project,” said Oregon State's College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences project lead Burke Hales.

“It represents five years of work by a dedicated group of more than 40 partners from federal, state and community groups including the Fishermen Involved in Natural Energy, who represent the local fishing interests.”

PMEC-SETS will have a maximum capacity of 20 utility-scale wave devices in water depths of between 65 and 78 metres.

Testing of most wave device types will be allowed, including point absorbers, attenuators, oscillating water columns and hybrid devices.

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