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Marine Hydrokinetics

News related to the marine hydrokinetics industry in North America for April 2015
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OWET conference co-located with HydroVision International in 2015

The Oregon Wave Energy Trust’s (OWET) Ocean Renewable Energy Conference X will be co-located with HydroVision International 2015, held July 14-17 in Portland, Ore., U.S. OREC X replaces the former Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy track. This conference features seven panel presentation sessions over three days that cover all aspects of the ocean energy industry:

  • What’s the Vision? Where’s the Progress?;
  • Technology Development in Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy;
  • Testing the Waters: Global Status Reports from MHK Test Centers;
  • Niche Markets as a Stepping Stone to Larger Scale Development;
  • Emerging Market Concerns: Integration, Variability and the Cost of Energy;
  • Clean Vision: Environmental Impacts and Progress; and
  • Perspectives on the Interface between Government and the MHK Community.

Last year’s HydroVision International, held in Nashville, Tenn., was attended by 3,000 hydroelectric industry professionals from 56 countries and included more than 320 exhibiting companies.

The conference portion for HydroVision International 2015 features eight tracks, filled with more than 70 educational sessions and 450 speakers.

Further information about each of the conference tracks and sessions can be found at HydroEvent.com.

Catamaran-type barge is innovafive design for tidal energy’s future

Water Wall Turbine Inc. (WWT) is developing a tidal energy device that uses rotating turbine components installed within a catamaran-type barge.

The barge is being built in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and construction is expected to take three months. Installing and calibrating electrical generators and controls will add an additional 90 days before the barge is completed.

WWT is the lead component for the development and demonstration of a 500-kW tidal energy power plant located at the Dent Island Lodge on Dent Island adjacent to Vancouver Island off the West coast of British Columbia. As part of the C$3.1 million project, National Resources Canada (NRCan) said the self-floating power plant could operate in shallow waters with a minimum of 4 to 5 meters depth, with a life expectancy for the plant being anywhere from 25 to 40 years.

NRCan is a Canadian government agency that “seeks to enhance the responsible development and use of Canada’s natural resources and the competitiveness of Canada’s natural resources products.”

Test trials at scales of 1:100, 1:75, 1:25, 1:10 and 1:6 indicate an energy extraction efficiency of well over 50%.

The final design for the floating structure is almost complete, according to NRCan. NRcan is awaiting tests of final scale-models designed to maximize stability and buoyancy as well generate the optimum rotations per minute under full load.

The investigative permit is now signed, which provides for on-site deployment and testing prior to a final operational license being issued.

NHA annual conference has a new marine energy dimension

New this year, the International Marine Renewable Energy Conference (IMREC) and Marine Energy Technology Symposium (METS) will be held simultaneously with the National Hydropower Association (NHA) annual conference April 27-29 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.

Full registration to the IMREC and METS event includes access to: all conference sessions, the President’s luncheon, closing session, refreshment breaks and hospitality receptions. In addition, registrants will have digital access to conference papers and presentations.

METS has 12 scheduled sessions in which papers will be presented and IMREC has scheduled sessions for:

  • Department of Energy Wave Energy Prize – Competition Details;
  • Global Emerging Trends/Showcase of Technologies in MHK Development;
  • Future Markets;
  • Scaled Testing — An Initiation to Commercialization Opportunity;
  • Solutions to the Chicken and Egg Problem: Getting Marine Renewable Energy; and
  • Systems into the Water in the Face of Environmental Uncertainty.

Additional conference session topics include Hydro’s Value in Today’s Energy Market; Bringing New Megawatts Online; Role of Dams in a Water-Constrained World; and the event for the Networking Reception and NHA Past Presidents’ Scholarship Fund Silent Auction.

Attendees are also eligible to receive 14 professional development hours. Instructions on how to access your certificate of completion will automatically be emailed to all attendees following the conference.

Log onto NationalHydroConference.com for additional conference details.

For more ocean/tidal/stream news, see the Hydro Project Activity tab at

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