EPRI Wins Two DOE Grants for Water Power R&D
September 30, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) announced the receipt of two grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) totaling $1.7 million for advanced water power R&D.
The awards address two topical areas under a DOE competitive solicitation: development and/or field testing of advanced water power technologies and market penetration of advanced water power technologies, said EPRI.
The first award, totaling $1.2 million over two years, is for the continued development of an advanced hydropower turbine.
The project focuses on further developing and testing of the Alden/Concepts Nrec "fish-friendly" turbine that reduces fish mortality without sacrificing power conversion efficiency.
"This turbine design could reduce fish mortality rates to less than 5%, increase turbine efficiency to 90% or higher and further support hydropower as a renewable, low-carbon energy option," said Douglas Dixon, senior program manager for the EPRI Fish Protection Program.
The research involves completing an engineering design, fabricating a turbine model and testing. When completed, the advanced turbine will be ready for commercial deployment and could lead to an additional 25,000 megawatts or more of low-carbon hydropower capacity in the U.S.
The second award, totaling $500,000, is for a wave energy resource assessment and geographic information system (GIS) database for the U.S. The project will determine the available resource base and the maximum wave energy potential, as well as the annual electrical energy that could be produced by wave energy conversion devices.
"This project will accelerate our understanding of how much wave energy resources can contribute to the U.S. portfolio of energy supply alternatives," said Roger Bedard, EPRI ocean energy leader.
EPRI will develop a methodology to gauge the energy potential from all coastal states, providing critical information and data that would be needed to optimally site wave generating stations, said the company.
The awards are part of a $7.3 million DOE procurement for advanced water power projects some of which, such as the EPRI hydropower turbine research project, require a 50% industry funding match. The projects will advance commercial viability, cost-competitiveness and market acceptance of new technologies that can harness renewable energy from oceans and rivers.
Source: Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).