ORPC, a marine renewable energy developer known for harnessing the power of free-flowing rivers and tides, has joined hands with Shell Technology – Marine Renewable Program to launch a Modular RivGen® Power System demonstration project in the Lower Mississippi River. The project aims to demonstrate how ORPC's hydrokinetic technology can deliver predictable baseload electricity to decarbonise onshore assets and support electrification of Shell facilities, including EV chargers and alternative fuel production.
This initiative is a result of ORPC's feasibility study for Shell, completed in November 2022, which identified three priority use cases where ORPC power systems could help decarbonize Shell's existing operations. The first use case is to provide power for Shell's onshore facilities, and the new project will accelerate towards its demonstration, including site selection, permitting, and engineering.
In April, ORPC technicians assessed multiple Shell sites in Louisiana to determine their viability for hydrokinetic power generation, along with stakeholder engagement and resource characterization at the sites, which is still ongoing.
The Modular RivGen device uses ORPC's cross-flow turbine technology optimized for lower velocity sites and reduced cost. The product is being developed at ORPC's river test site in Millinocket, Maine, with financial assistance from the Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office. The Modular RivGen system can be stacked vertically or placed side-by-side to integrate into existing or new works, including infrastructure modernization and EV charging stations.
“ORPC welcomes the opportunity to partner with Shell to demonstrate the Modular RivGen System in the Lower Mississippi River region,” said ORPC CEO Stuart Davies. “With its ease of transport, installation, and adaptability to different sites and industrial uses, the Modular RivGen System can be scaled into large arrays and replicated in rivers globally. Once deployed, these arrays can provide a highly-predictable baseload renewable energy resource that can serve as the foundation of a fully-renewable energy grid in the future. We look forward to showcasing its capabilities in partnership with Shell.”
