Energy from Tidal,River and Ocean Currents:The Ocean Renewable Power Company

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In April 2008, ORPC successfully completed extensive testing of the core component of its OCGen™ technology, the Turbine-Generator Unit (TGU), in Western Passage, ME proving the technical feasibility of the TGU. As both a technology developer and a project developer, ORPC plans to commercialize its OCGen™ TGU technology by the end of 2009 while concurrently continuing the development of tidal and river power generation projects at a variety of sites.

As an emerging energy industry, there are many different technologies and techniques being developed to harvest energy from the world’s seas and rivers. None of these technologies have reached a commercial state at this point in time. Since nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered with water, the opportunities for generating emission-free electricity from tidal and ocean currents are as endless as the oceans themselves. Seventy percent of the world’s population lives within 200 miles of an ocean. This means that nearly three-quarters of world electricity demand occurs within an economic distance from tidal and ocean current resources. It has been estimated that if less than 0.1% of the renewable energy available within the oceans could be converted into electricity, it would satisfy the present world demand for energy more than five times over (UK Marine Foresight Panel, 2000). According to a World Energy Council Survey of Energy Resources conducted in 2001, potential worldwide Marine Current Energy exceeds 450 million kilowatts.

The market for emission-free electricity from OCGen™ projects covers the spectrum from coastal electric utilities and power pools in large population regions to remote coastal communities not connected to an electric grid.

The United States, as well as many other governments in the world, have set aside funding for various ocean energy projects worldwide and the funding for these projects increases every year. Development of any new technology takes time, however. Compared with other energy generating technologies, ocean energy has been advancing at a rapid pace. Wind turbine technology took nearly twenty years to be developed to a commercial state and we have learned many lessons from their experience.

The potential impact on the marine environment from OCGen™ technology is a matter we take very seriously. To date, in all of the testing that has been done with these new types of underwater turbines, there has never been an observed fish impact (fish have been observed swimming around, under or over them.) The OCGen™ TGU creates a slight pressure build up in front of the turbine foils and, it is believed, that fish can sense and avoid the object as if it were a solid object the same way they avoid things like bridge piers. We will continue to monitor this matter closely as our technology matures.

ORPC believes that development of technology and projects that will generate emission-free electricity from tidal, river and ocean currents can be done in a manner that will protect the marine environment; will be compatible with other uses of the marine resources; will provide reliable, economic new supplies of renewable energy; and will create new jobs and other economic opportunities to the local communities. These are the guiding principles under which ORPC conducts its business.]

Posted by admin on Jun 13 2009. Filed under Ocean Power Technologies & Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.