The Energy Department announced $8 million in available funding to develop marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) control and component technologies. As part of the Energy Department’s Water Power Program, MHK harnesses energy from natural movement of the ocean’s waves as well as river and tidal currents. MHK projects are especially challenging to design because they must be durable enough to work under harsh conditions while also being gentle enough to preserve the integrity of the marine environment.
Moving water is a renewable clean energy source that is already conveniently located exactly where we want it: close to major U.S. cities. More than half of the American population lives within 50 miles of either coast.
The Energy Department aims to fund up to five projects that use moving water to extract power that can used to provide clean, affordable electricity. The $8 Million will fund the following types of projects that will design, develop, and validate controls and components for MHK systems:
Advanced controls: components capable of monitoring and controlling the interaction of the device with the water resource for increased power production and efficiency.- Crosscutting power take-off components: components for the “power take-off” systems of a broad variety of MHK devices, reducing the costs of deployments and increasing efficiency and availability. A power take-off is the MHK sub-system that includes the hardware needed to convert mechanical motion into electrical power.
- Innovative structures: advanced materials and structures for increased power production, availability, and greater manufacturability.
To apply for funding, go to the Energy Department’s financial opportunities page.
