Can Mississippi River currents generate zero-carbon electricity? Project aims to find out

A brand new type of an outdated supply of electrical energy — hydropower produced by river flows — may assist present the electrical energy of the longer term underneath a plan being developed. 

ORPC, a Maine-based firm creating tools that may generate zero-carbon electrical energy from river and ocean currents, has signed an settlement with Shell Expertise to make use of Mississippi River currents to supply energy. The settlement is aimed toward putting in a number of demonstration tasks at as much as three Shell amenities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, firm officers stated just lately. Shell Expertise is a division of the oil large.

ORPC may additionally set up one among its Modular RivGen Energy System models on the LSU Middle for River Research, the place the electrical energy may energy present Shell electrical car charging stations close by, stated Nathan Johnson, ORPC’s vp for improvement.

The models are generators spun by water flowing by means of a horizontal construction — kind of like an underwater windmill. They’re designed to generate electrical energy when the water is transferring by means of the construction at about 2 1/4 meters per second, equal to about 7 1/2 ft per second.

Every unit may produce about 40 kilowatts of electrical energy at that move charge, he stated. An identical-sized diesel generator would produce sufficient electrical energy each day to service one or two Louisiana houses. The models are modular and stackable, so 100 or extra may very well be positioned within the Mississippi to generate electrical energy that will be delivered to shore by underwater cables.

A number of models already are deployed in coastal areas of Eastport, Maine, and on rivers in Alaska and Canada, he stated.

“We might begin with a few units, however there definitely can be a possibility, if acceptable on the website, to place in dozens or tons of of units,” Johnson stated. “However that will be one thing we might take a look at as a part of a really phased method, working with the stakeholders.”

Johnson stated that on the Shell amenities, the electrical energy generated by the models may very well be used for EV stations for firm automobiles or for public charging stations, or for different electrical energy wants on the vegetation, together with within the making of different fuels. In that case, the electrical energy may very well be changing carbon-based fuels, leading to much more reductions in carbon emissions.

Researchers with the Middle for River Research are aiding in figuring out the power of the models to be positioned in places close to the Shell amenities the place they’ll generate probably the most electrical energy whereas additionally not blocking vessel visitors. Nonetheless to be decided is whether or not particles carried by the river, or its sediment load, is likely to be a limiting issue for particular person models. 

In different places, Johnson stated, the models have been proven to have the ability to function with out harming fish, together with salmon in Alaska. 

The corporate is also working with the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers and Mississippi River pilot associations on these points, and expects to be working with the Coast Guard on the identical questions, Johnson stated.

Johnson stated his firm hopes to work with Shell to establish not less than one demonstration venture in a few month.

“After which we’ll have the ability to begin purposes engineering, mooring system configuration, and procurement of the units, to place one thing within the water roughly a 12 months from now,” he stated.

If the demonstration is profitable, ORPC would additionally try to market the mills to different potential customers alongside the Mississippi, together with in New Orleans and places north of Louisiana, Johnson stated. 

Setting reporter Mark Schleifstein could be reached at mschleifstein@theadvocate.com, and could be adopted on Twitter at @Mschleifstein.