Jan 18 2011
Tidal power firm, Verdant Power, said that the company has submitted a license application with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deploy about 30 tidal power turbines across the East River’s East Channel in New York City. The name of the project is, ‘The Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project’.
The RITE proposal is Verdant Power’s strategic approach to market its 'Free Flow' kinetic hydropower system that uses three-blade turbines to generate tidal power. From 2006 to 2008, the company tested its Free Flow System encompassing six full-scale turbines for supplying power to companies in New York without problems in energy quality. According to earlier reports, the planned capacity of the RITE Project is 1 MW and is anticipated to produce electricity ranging from 1,680 to 2,500 MWh per year.
Verdant Power will deploy an enhanced, fifth-generation Free Flow System for system durability, eco-compatibility and cheap production via the RITE Project. The US Department of Energy (DOE) offered a portion of the finance for the development of the fifth-generation Free Flow System. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory of DOE, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory of the University of Minnesota and Sandia National Laboratories have provided significant assistance in the design and testing of turbine blades with new composites.
The New York City Economic Development and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority are the major financiers for the RITE Project development. The company’s submission comes under the licensing procedures of Hydrokinetic Pilot Project of FERC. Kleinschmidt Associates helped the company in the preparation of the licensing application.
Verdant Power had carried out eco- monitoring of the Free Flow System during its six-turbine testing at the RITE Project and the results showed no proof of harm or death of water life . The company plans to continue the environmental impact study of the RITE Project along with the state and federal agencies.
Source: http://verdantpower.com