Ocean Renewable Power Company today hosted a dedication ceremony in Eastport, Maine, Tuesday, July 24, 2012 to celebrate its Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project, the first phase of the company’s Maine Tidal Energy Project, and the first commercial, grid-connected ocean energy project in the United States.
The July 24th program included viewing of ORPC’s TidGen™ turbine generator unit (TGU) at 12 noon. This was the first and last opportunity for the public to see the fully assembled TGU prior to its deployment at ORPC’s Cobscook Bay project site.
Scheduled to make remarks as part of the festivities were:
– Steven G. Chalk, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy;
– Ann Miles, Deputy Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;
– Maine Technology Institute Interim President, Joe Migliaccio; and local officials from Lubec and Eastport.
In February 2012, ORPC was issued a pilot project license for its Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In March, deployment began with installation of the bottom support frame for the first TidGen™ TGU at ORPC’s site in Lubec near Seward Neck. By late summer, ORPC expects to have the TidGen™ Power System installed, and by October 1, the company will begin delivering electricity to the grid.
Established in 2004, ORPC is a privately-held industry leader in tidal, river and deepwater ocean current power generation technology and projects. ORPC’s hub at Eastport and Lubec, Maine has become an internationally recognized center for tidal energy development.
The Maine Tidal Energy Project is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Maine Technology Institute, as well as private investors.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , July 24, 2012; Image: ORPC