Tidal power in downeast Maine moved a step closer to reality with the awarding of a grant to Ocean Renewable Power Company Maine to build prototypes in Cobscook Bay and the Western Passage of Passamaquoddy Bay.
The $300,000 grant was made to ORPC Maine, based in Denmark, Maine, in February by the Maine Technology Institute. The award is to be used specifically for the detailed engineering of a prototype project, testing, and eventual installation of a full-scale commercial project, according to Chris Sauer, ORPC Maine president and CEO.
He adds that the project will use proprietary Ocean Current Generation (OCGen) technology being developed by ORPC Maine.
“We’ve applied to FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] for permits for the permanent installations,” Sauer says. “All we need for the prototypes is a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers because we won’t be hooking them up to the grid. We’ll use a buoy to dissipate the energy generated there.”
He adds that data developed by the prototypes will be used in support of the FERC application for a commercial permit.
“We plan to start building and installing a full-scale prototype OCGen module in Western Passage in late 2008,” Sauer says. “Our goal is to start installing permanent unites in the summer of 2010 and to generate electricity by late 2010. That may seem optimistic, but that’s the goal we’ve set for ourselves.”
— Bob Gustafson