Small-scale ocean turbines could expand U.S. renewable energy portfolio
Thanks to a recently-signed five-year lease agreement between Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), researchers at FAU's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC) will soon embark upon installation of the world's first offshore test berth for small-scale ocean current turbines -- a goal FAU has been working to achieve since 2007.
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The research turbine. Credit: Florida Atlantic University |
"This project is a potentially paradigm-shifting development in the global quest for clean energy sources," FAU President John Kelly said. "It also demonstrates the multidisciplinary nature of marine renewable's research, [and] a successful public, private partnership."
The lease allows installation of multiple anchored floating test berths on the U.S. outer continental shelf 13 miles offshore from Broward County, Fla. These test berths, each consisting of a buoy anchored to the sea floor, allow ocean current turbine prototypes (up to 100 kW generation capacity) to be deployed from vessels moored in the Gulf Stream, which contains a tremendous amount of energy, for a few weeks at a time.
In late 2013, researchers performed a successful final sea trial of the first test berth buoy, as well as preliminary tow tests of a small-scale research turbine -- key steps before the installation of the test site.
Before receiving a lease offer from BOEM, an environmental assessment of the project concluded that "no significant impact" was expected. Before installation of the test berth, a BOEM will review the project plan.
For more:
- see the
lease issuance and environmental assessment
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