The US Department of Energy (DOE) dished out a new round of funding for hydrokinetic technology (underwater renewable energy systems) worth $35 million. It’s a technology you don’t hear much about because it’s challenging to develop and expensive, but that’s what the research grants are hoping to fix.
The DOE said:
Marine energy technologies are at an early stage of development due to the fundamental challenges of generating power from a dynamic, low-velocity, and high-density resource while withstanding corrosive marine environments. These challenges are intensified by high costs and lengthy permitting processes associated with in-water testing.
Hydrokinetic systems rely on ambient water flow to run a turbine. They’re like underwater wind turbines, but instead of wind, it’s the natural flow of rivers and canals or tidal currents that turn the blades. This is different from hydropower systems, which use dams to build up water pressure to run a turbine.
Hydrokinetic technology has much to offer as a domestic renewable energy resource. It can produce electricity for remote communities or be deployed for various marine-related uses including, desalination, aquaculture, mining, environmental surveillance, emergency response, and powering watercraft.
A hydrokinetic system could be linked to an energy storage element and deployed to complement other renewable energy forms. Plus, tides and river flow could be forecast-able, making it easier to know how much electricity generation to expect.
Secretary of energy Mark W. Menezes said:
America’s tidal and riverine currents remain a valuable resource for the generation of clean and reliable electricity. Developing efficient, economically attractive hydrokinetic turbine technologies will enable the United States to utilize those resources and continue to diversify our energy generation infrastructure and increase grid resiliency.
All the funding is being handled through a program called SHARKS (Submarine Hydrokinetic And Riverine Kilo-megawatt Systems). It wants to take a holistic approach to push the technology instead of doing it bit by bit. The program’s main areas of focus are remote use and utility-scale development.
The new $35 million round of funding is in addition to SHARKS’ kickoff round of $38 million in funding. Altogether, the money will support 11 hydrokinetic projects.
ARPA-E Director Lane Genatowski said:
Hydrokinetic energy is an abundant renewable resource that can boost grid resiliency and reduce infrastructure vulnerability, but it is currently a cost-prohibitive option compared to other energy generating sources. SHARKS teams will address this barrier by designing new, efficient HKT systems that utilize America’s tidal, riverine, and ocean resources to develop economically attractive energy generation opportunities.
One great example, and the biggest project in the water so far, is the RITE project by Verdant Power in New York City’s East River. It’s a three-turbine system that generates electricity from the tide.
