Alaska-based Sitkana is set to deploy its new prototype tidal turbine at the Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative’s (MRECo) Bourne Tidal Test Site (BTTS) in Massachusetts, U.S.
At BTTS, located in the Cape Cod Canal, the turbine will operate in powerful tidal currents while engineers evaluate its performance, reliability, and durability in real ocean conditions, marking a step forward to commercial deployment.
According to Sitkana, the technology uses smaller modular units that combine into larger arrays, allowing systems to scale without large-scale infrastructure or specialized installation equipment.
“Our goal is to make marine energy easier to build, deploy, and maintain in remote areas,” said Lance McMullan , Founder and CEO of Sitkana. “BTTS is one of the few places where we can evaluate our entire system in one location. Beyond measuring power performance, we’ll be able to observe operation in a real marine environment and better understand interactions with wildlife. This testing is critical as we move toward commercial deployments.”
MRECo’s recent upgrades to the BTTS include enhanced data systems, improved testing infrastructure, expanded prototype deployment capabilities, and preparations for future grid-connected tidal turbine testing, thanks to support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) Ocean Innovation Network.