ORPC Maine, LLC has received an additional $200,000 award from the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) to continue commercial development of the company’s technology to generate electric power from tidal currents. This is the second award to ORPC Maine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Co., LLC.
After more than three years in development, ORPC Maine is currently in the testing phase of its $1 million Ocean Current Generation (OCGen) technology demonstration project at its Cobscook Bay and Western Passage sites near Eastport, Maine. The innovative project involves conducting a series of tests of a prototype turbine-generator unit (TGU). Data from these tests will be used to complete the commercial design of the TGU over the next year.
“With MTI’s support, we will continue our aggressive development path towards commercialization of our technology and projects that will provide clean, emission-free electricity to the entire region,” said Chris Sauer, president & CEO of ORPC Maine. “Maine has tremendous natural tidal energy resources and the state has the foresight to encourage the development of ocean renewable technologies.” The company expects to secure additional private funding this summer and begin testing a commercial design in the spring of 2009.
MTI was created by the Maine Legislature in 1999 to encourage, promote, stimulate, and support research and development activity leading to the commercialization of new products and services in the state’s technology-intensive industrial sectors.