The US Department of Energy (DoE) has awarded $6.7m funding to six marine projects to support the development of innovative technologies.
Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) is the recipient of the largest single award with $2.3m for a RivGen river current turbine project in Igiugig, Alaska.
Maine-based ORPC also received a slice of a further $4.4m funds for five other projects; it will investigate cross-flow turbine efficiency in conjunction with University of New Hampshire, DoyleCFD, AeroCraft, and Sandia National Laboratories.
A consortium led by Resolute Marine Energy will build and test a model-scale seawater-compatible pump to facilitate lab testing of a wave power take-off (PTO) system in partnership with Ricardo and University of Minnesota among others.
Oscilla Power will undertake 1:10 scale testing of a linear hybrid drivetrain PTO for wave energy at Sandia National Laboratory.
Enorasy, in partnership with Raytheon and Draper Labs, will build a 1:10 scale prototype of a wave device to be tested at University of Maine.
Water Horse Energy will develop an oscillating hydrokinetic device aimed at small, remote river applications in partnership with Alaska Center for Energy and Power, Renerge and University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The $6.7m funding was awarded by the DoE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.
Image: Pexels
US splashes marine cash
By EBS