Verdant Power deploys tidal turbine array in New York

US-based company Verdant Power has installed an array of three tidal power turbines in New York City’s East River.

The deployment, which took place on 22 October, 2020, as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project, is said to be the first US licensed tidal power project.

Verdant Power’s tidal array will generate electricity under a pilot project license issued by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The RITE project activity represents a technology demonstration of Verdant Power’s fifth-generation tidal power system and its novel TriFrame mounting system, which is the next step on a pathway to global commercialization and profitable commercial operations.

This pre-commercial demonstration of the proprietary integrated system is designed to optimize the economics of installation and maintenance over the system’s 20-year life, and to prove performance, Verdant Power said.

John T. Banigan, CEO of Verdant Power, said: “Today we are demonstrating clean power from the tidal currents and that tidal power is a viable energy resource advancing our industry in the U.S. and globally. We also are proud to be a New York-based company that will create an MRE industry cluster with local jobs and global exports”.

The project will provide clean electricity to Roosevelt Island through a distributed generation connection to Con Edison’s local grid, and is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the US Department of Energy, in addition to New York private equity investors.