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V O L . X X X I N O. I V E N E R G Y / E N V I RO N M E N T F O C U S A Portland-based company whose technology generates power from water movement has had success with a system in remote Alaska and is now getting interest from around the globe. e RivGen Power System developed by ORPC can help rural areas cut dependence on diesel genera- tors and other fossil fuel power systems, while har- nessing tides and river currents. Its Alaska project is considered a demonstra- tion of how ORPC can use RivGen technology to extract energy from the river flow, lessening diesel dependence, and lowering carbon emissions, noise and environmental risk. "We've had outreach from over 70 countries," says Stuart Davies, ORPC's CEO. "We're in discussions about projects in Brazil and Columbia. We're talking with people in Peru. We had calls yesterday about a couple of projects, including an opportunity in Nigeria." Untapped resource ORPC is a newer form of a hydropower company. Instead of dams or altered waterways, ORPC occupies a segment called "marine hydrokinetic energy" and uses small, underwater turbines to generate power from free-flowing rivers and tides. e technology is considered promising for reaching remote communi- ties that otherwise depend on diesel. According to the National Hydropower Association's Marine Energy Council, marine energy is a "significant untapped" resource for har- nessing clean, renewable power. "Marine energy technologies are undergoing rapid innovation in the U.S.," the association says. "ese technologies will be critical in helping to reach 100% clean energy targets and related climate change goals by 2035." Harnessing water movement Founded in 2004 by Paul Wells, John Cooper and Christopher Sauer, ORPC builds on an idea from Wells, a cruise ship operations professional who wondered if there was a way to generate electricity from the Florida current. With Cooper and Sauer, whose careers largely focused on cogeneration and independent power projects, the partners embarked on developing marine renewable energy technology. In 2007, ORPC opened offices in Eastport and Portland and launched a prototype turbine generator unit off Eastport. Early financing included grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and other entities, seed loans from the Maine Technology Institute and angel funding. e project became North America's first grid‐connected tidal energy project in 2012. More private investment and public sector research and development funding ensued, with more hires and technology advancement. In 2019, ORPC unveiled its commercial RivGen Power System at Brunswick Landing and launched it in the Kvichak River, in remote Igiugig, Alaska. Driving growth Davies joined ORPC in 2020 to drive growth through overseeing the commercial rollout of the company's technology in the U.S., Canada and Chile. Before ORPC, he was an investor in early-stage companies with a focus on products and services that reduce carbon emissions or improve the health of the environment. "Our focus since 2020 has been toward com- mercialization," says Davies. "We've raised our profile and built a pipeline of prospective custom- ers worldwide." e work attracted the attention of remote com- munities and investors, he says. Advancements included a $25 million capital raise in 2021, financing installations of devices in targeted markets; boosting sales and marketing capability, sup- ply chain and engineering expertise, and front office services; and leveraging grant funding. Development sites and field offices have opened in Millinocket, Alaska, Canada, Chile and Ireland. An engineering and electronics lab at Brunswick Landing's TechPlace includes a test tank and facili- ties for design advancements. ORPC in Maine has grown from fewer than 20 employees five years ago to 35 employees today. In the pipeline Seeking to reduce dependence on diesel or natural gas generation, four Indigenous communities in Canada recently selected ORPC as their technology partner in response to a call for proposals for renew- able energy demonstrations by Natural Resources Canada's Energy Innovation Program. e company won an initial award and is compet- ing for further U.S. Department of Energy grant fund- ing to harness tidal energy in Alaska's Cook Inlet. Partnering with the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, ORPC evaluated the feasibility of hydro- kinetic power systems to decrease diesel dependency in 60 micro-grid communities across Alaska, nearly all accessible only by plane or seasonal vessel. Ten com- munities were identified for fieldwork this year. ORPC deployed a tidal generator system at Queen's University test center in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 2023, ORPC established a demonstration site for a modular version of its RivGen system, at the One North industrial site in Millinocket. Designed for lower-velocity rivers, the compact modular units can be deployed in multi-unit arrays. From Millinocket, ORPC shipped another RivGen system to Chile Chico, in Chile's Patagonia region; permitting for deployment is underway. Shell's Marine Renewable Program contracted to buy two Modular RivGen devices, to be deployed later this year as a technology demonstration at an industrial site on the Lower Mississippi River. Turbines on pontoons e RivGen — about 50 feet by 50 feet, with a dry weight of 32.5 tons — has a towable pontoon support structure with a self-deploying/self-retrieving remotely activated buoyancy system, a low-profile turbine, an encapsulated generator designed for leak prevention and long life in underwater operations, a drivetrain and a control system for operating in turbulent conditions. e device is shipped as components and assem- bled on-site. It's designed to be deployed by locally available vessels, equipment and contractors. "Once on station, the pontoons fill with water and it goes to the bottom of the river," says Davies. "We release the brake and it starts to run. You can bring the device back to surface in about 45 minutes by filling the pontoons with air." Over half of the components are manufactured in the U.S., including as many as 35 suppliers in Maine. Maine companies provide assembly and testing services. A RivGen device is seen on the banks of the river in Alaska. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F O R P C F E B R UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 5 14 B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r A Portland company replaces diesel with hydro-kinetic energy to power remote communities

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