First Commercial Hydrokinetic Turbine Installed in US
The United States’ first hydrokinetic turbine was recently installed in the Mississippi River. The turbine, which harnesses power from moving water, is downstream from a hydroelectric-plant dam.
With a production capacity of only 35 KW, Minnesota’s turbine isn’t exactly a heavy hitter, but it will increase the dam’s capacity by over 5 percent.
It also signals the beginning of a new energy trend. Hydro Green, the company behind the project, plans on installing two six-foot hydrokinetic turbines in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that can produce 1,600 MW combined.
A competing company called Free Flow Power Corp. also has its sights set on turbine production in the Mississipi River.
Expect even more projects in the near future— Congress passed a bill this year extending tax incentives for hydrokinetic turbines through 2016.
Photo Credit: Wired
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December 28th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
This is a technology that few know about yet has the potential of harnessing the energy of water flow in a manner that does not cause the same level of destruction that occurs when dams are built across waterways. Alternative structures also allow for the capture of tidal action, which could be significant in powering coastal regions.
January 6th, 2009 at 3:11 am
We are just scratching the surface of where hydrokinetic energy can take us, so it is nice to see that Congress is doing it’s part to embrace this technology. I’m not sure if this is the first hydrokinetic turbine installed in the US though as a company called New Energy Corp. (www.newenergycorp.ca) has had turbines installed in Alaska for well over a year. They are a different design, but leverage flow energy the same way and have almost no environmental footprint.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
“Two six-foot hydrokinetic turbines in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that can produce 1,600 MW combined”??? Looks like a typo. Maybe 60-foot turbines?
The one in the picture looks like 12 ft diameter, but produces only 35 kw.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I think they meant 1.6 Mw. 1600 Mw is absolutely impossibe for that size with todays technology.
January 10th, 2010 at 8:11 am
[...] not involve constructing dams, weirs, or other fish-unfriendly infrastructure. It’s called hydrokinetic power, and it simply uses underwater turbines to harness the energy of existing currents in rivers. [...]