FERC issues EA for Igiugig hydrokinetics

Alan Bailey

Petroleum News

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued an environmental assessment for a proposed in-river turbine electrical power generation pilot project for the village of Igiugig, near the western end of Lake Iliamna in southern Alaska. The EA, which comes in response to a FERC license application by Igiugig Village Council, has determined that the project would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment and does not, therefore, warrant the development of an environmental impact statement.

The proposal, which follows the testing of a hydrokinetic system in the village in 2014 and 2015, would involve the placement of underwater turbine generators with helical shaped turbine blades, anchored to the bed of the fast-flowing Kvichak River. Igiugig is situated adjacent to the river.

Ocean Renewable Power Co., a firm that specializes in hydrokinetic power generation systems, has been assisting Igiugig with its hydrokinetic venture. The company built and installed the prototype device used for the testing, with funding assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The pilot project now planned would involve two phases. Phase one would entail installing a single turbine in the river in late June 2019. This device would be operated and monitored for a period of up to 12 months. The results of this testing would lead to a decision on whether to proceed to phase two. Phase two would expand the system by installing a second device in the river. Each of the turbine generators would have a 35-kilowatt rating.

The aim is to reduce the amount of fuel that the village has to purchase each year for its diesel power generators. Diesel fuel has to be delivered to the village by air or barge during the summer, for storing in a tank farm. The FERC EA says that, given the cost of the pilot project, the power from the project would cost considerably more than the village’s current power supply. However, these costs are not indicative of costs that may be associated with future projects, the EA says.

- ALAN BAILEY