Thirteen marine energy projects secure $2.1M support through US research program

The U.S. Testing Expertise and Access to Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) program has approved funding of $2.1 million for 13 projects through its thirteenth Request for Technical Support (RFTS).

According to TEAMER, the selected projects will receive support for testing, access to numerical modeling, and various testing facilities, including laboratory or bench testing, tank/flume testing, and expertise through the TEAMER Facility Network. 

Selected applicants and their supporting facilities are required to submit completed test plans before assistance activities can begin. 

The developers and projects selected under the RFTS include 

• Bluewater Network – Rapid and cost-effective assessment of the feasibility of wave energy to support resilient desalination and power on San Nicholas Island, California, with Integral Consulting as the supporting facility; 

• C-Power – Overvoltage Protection of Direct Drive Wave Power System (WPS) Electrical Components, with Cardinal Engineering as the supporting facility; 

• Crown Estate Scotland – Investigating Tidal current Energy inter-array Impacts and uncertainties for Real Projects (ITEIRP), with Sandia National Laboratories as the supporting facility; 

• Deep Anchor Solutions – Optimizing Corrosion Allowance and Fatigue Performance of Deeply Embedded Ring Anchor for Floating Marine Renewable Energy, with Stress Engineering Services as the supporting facility;

• Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions – New Technology Qualification for Halona WEC pilot demonstrations, with American Bureau of Shipping as the supporting facility; 

• Littoral Power Systems – Evaluating the feasibility of tidal energy extraction at non-operational gas platforms and effects of sedimentation and sea ice in Cook Inlet, with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as the supporting facility; 

• Orbital Marine Power – Site identification framework and environmental compliance for floating ocean current turbines in US waters, with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Florida Atlantic University as the supporting facilities; 

• ORPC – Dynamometer testing of a magnetically geared electrical generator, with the University of Washington as the supporting facility;

• University of Alaska Fairbanks – WEC and CEC site assessment tools; software application and training with SNL-SWAN and SNL-Delft3D-CEC, with Sandia National Laboratories and Integral Consulting as the supporting facilities; 

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville – Optimizing flexible Wells turbine blade with FSI CFD simulation, with Oak Ridge National Laboratory as the supporting facility; 

• University of Washington – Simulation of a High-confinement Tidal Energy Array, with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as the supporting facility; 

• Verdant Power – Stage 2 Resource Assessment Study of Long Island Sound Tidal Resource in New York State Waters Based on Numerical Modeling, with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as the supporting facility; and 

• Wave Water Works – Numerical modeling, analysis, and optimization of Oscillo-Drive Wave Energy Converter, with Florida Atlantic University as the supporting facility.

Applications for RFTS 14 are open until October 4, 2024, and RFTS 15 until February 7, 2025.

TEAMER, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and directed by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, provides access to leading facilities and expertise to address challenges in marine renewables.

In June, the U.S. research program added the Bourne tidal test site (BTTS), operated by the Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative of New England, as its newest open-water testing facility.