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July 6, 2010 Portlandbiz

ORPC gives tidal generator top marks in testing

By Robert M. Cook

A Portland company hopes to have its 60-kilowatt underwater tidal generator in Cobscook Bay fully operational in August after conducting favorable beta tests, paving the way for a larger commercial project in 2011.

John Ferland, vice president of project development for Ocean Renewable Power Co., described the generator as "the Kitty Hawk" for tidal energy development in Eastport during remarks he made at the Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine's recent ocean energy forum at the Portland Country Club in Falmouth. He says the company, which employs 14 people at its Portland headquarters and three in Eastport, has invested $5 million in Maine since it began development of the tidal power generator in 2007.

The company plans to submit a final application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission next January, and must also receive a permit from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Ferland hopes the company will be granted an eight-year pilot license for up to a 5-megawatt build-out.

When asked if he believes ORPC could achieve a 5-megawatt build-out within the eight-year pilot license, Ferland replied, "The pilot project is very realistic."

And ORPC could see more opportunities opening for it, after New Brunswick-based Irving Oil Ltd. decided to abandon its tidal power initiatives in the Bay of Fundy. The New Brunswick government had granted the company exclusive access to the bay to test tidal power at 11 different sites, but walked away for unknown reasons, according to Canada's CBC News. ORPC's test sites in Cobscook Bay, which is part of the Bay of Fundy, are not far from Irving's abandoned sites.

The New Brunswick government plans to issue another request for proposals for the 11 test sites. Though Ferland didn't say if ORPC would consider extending its reach, he did tell CBC news, "With Irving having made this decision, it kind of changes the playing field a little bit, so we would now seek to gather information about what that means."

If fully realized, ORPC's turbine unit would be the largest of its kind ever in U.S. waters. Initially, Ferland says the company would deploy a 150-kW unit in the bay in late 2011 that would deliver 262,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which would provide enough electricity for 40 households.

If ORPC completed the maximum build-out allowed under the pilot license, Ferland says the company could produce as much as 15 million kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough to power 2,500 households. Ferland says the unit would be connected to the regional power grid in 2011and its power would be sold on the open market.

"Moving the project into the pilot phase is absolutely critical to moving the technology forward," Ferland says.

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