ORPC and Shell Marine Renewable Program initiate a Modular RivGen Power System demonstration in Lower Mississippi River

The collaborative project represents an opportunity to showcase how the next generation of ORPC’s proven hydrokinetic technology can provide highly predictable baseload electricity to help decarbonise onshore assets. Once deployed, the sys-tem can potentially support the electrification of Shell facilities, including providing power to electric vehicles (EV) chargers and supporting alternative fuels production.

The initiation of the demonstration project builds off previous work completed by ORPC for Shell. ORPC completed a feasibility study in November 2022 to help identify mutually beneficial applications of ORPC technology by Shell and assess the business case for pursuing pilot projects to demonstrate their use in the field. The report identified three priority use cases where ORPC power systems could contribute toward decarbonising Shell’s existing operations, the first of which is to provide power for Shell’s onshore facilities.

In early April, ORPC technicians travelled to multiple Shell sites in Louisiana. With support from Louisiana State University, they assessed each location’s viability to support the production of hydrokinetic power generation. Resource characterisation at the sites is ongoing, along with stakeholder engagement. This most recent award will focus on acceleration towards a demonstration project including the selection of a suitable site(s) as well as associated permitting and applications engineering.

The Modular RivGen device uses the proven cross-flow turbine technology of ORPC’s commercially available RivGen Power System, optimised 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 modernisation and EV charging stations, making it a versatile option to support Shell’s goal of increased renewable energy adoption.

“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.”

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