Hydro, Regulation, Sourcing Renewables - April 15, 2020
DOE invests $38M into hydrokinetic turbine research
The U.S. DOE announced April 9 that it will be investing $38 million into a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program for the development of hydrokinetic turbine technology.
The Submarine Hydrokinetic and Riverine Kilo-megawatt Systems (SHARKS) program intends to design and develop turbines for tidal and riverine renewable energy resources, which boast low visual profiles and minimal environmental impact. These types of energy-producing devices are also suited for microgrid applications supplying energy to remote communities and other “blue economy” and utility-scale applications.
“America’s tidal and riverine currents remain a valuable resource for the generation of clean and reliable electricity,” Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes said in a statement. “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.”
The projects under the SHARKS program will work towards a reduction in the Levelized Cost of Energy up to 61% compared to current HKT systems. These projects will also prioritize the development of designs that include the development of new solutions for hydrodynamics, mechanical structures, materials, hydro-structural interactions, electrical energy conversion systems, control systems, numerical simulations and experimental validations.
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