U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announces that Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) will receive $5,350,000 through the Department of Energy to enhance the performance of its tidal turbine system. ORPC was one of 10 organizations across the country to receive funding to support the development of a commercially viable marine and hydrokinetic industry.
TidGen™ Power System. Photo courtesy: Ocean Renewable Power Company
“ORPC is a global leader in hydrokinetic energy, and this grant will help accelerate the company’s efforts to improve upon its tidal turbine technology,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “By developing innovative and groundbreaking methods for generating clean, renewable energy, we will help ensure a reliable, affordable power supply, and that our environment is preserved for future generations. We look forward to continuing to support ORPC and its talented team of researchers as they work to develop its promising technology.”
“ORPC is thrilled to be selected by DOE for this significant award. It is a great testament to our superb technology and our amazing team,” ORPC President & CEO Chris Sauer said. “We look forward to commercializing our TidGen® Power System in Maine collaborating with Eastport and Lubec, as well as with local contractors and service providers.”
The grant is intended to help ORPC improve the performance and commercialize its TidGen® Power System by integrating several advanced component technologies. This project, which is based on 11 previous in-water deployments, will integrate improvements into a commercially viable and certified tidal power system. The device’s novel floating design will move the turbine near the surface to capture higher flow velocities and will help reduce the cost of installation and on-water operations, ultimately lowering the cost of energy.
The new system will be built, installed, operated, and performance benchmarked in ORPC’s permitted sites in the Eastport and Lubec region and employ local contractors and services providers. ORPC will continue its industry-leading environmental monitoring efforts in collaboration with state and federal regulators that to date have shown no adverse effects on the marine environment.
