ORPC turbine marks milestone
Ocean Renewable Power Co. of Portland has announced its tidal turbine prototype in Cobscook Bay has successfully generated grid-compatible energy.
Dubbed the Beta Power System, the company's 60-kilowatt turbine generator -- the largest of its kind ever installed in U.S. waters -- produced outputs that met or exceeded expectations, which President and CEO Chris Sauer said was "a huge milestone for America's ocean energy industry," according to a press release. ORPC officials will use the data from the unit's performance test to fine-tune the design of its 150-kilowatt TidGen Power System, which they expect to install off Eastport in 2011. The system will be connected to the New England grid through the Bangor Hydro Electric Co. system by the end of that year and produce enough electricity for 50 to 75 homes. The company's long-term plans call for more underwater turbine generators to be placed in the bay that will generate more than 100 megawatts, according to The Associated Press.
Also announced yesterday, ORPC plans to advance a demonstration project at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Eastport. Susy Kist, an ORPC spokeswoman, told The AP the generator unit will charge a battery system at the station that will help the Coast Guard determine if similar tidal power can be used to power other stations in Alaska.
Go to the article from The AP >>
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