Feature Project - A Slow Spin on Water Power

NEC's latest installation, a 25kW turbine, spins slowly at a maximum speed of 22 rpm

New Energy Corporation (NEC) is making international headlines as their turbine starts to harness energy from the Yukon River in Alaska. The in-stream 25kW turbine spins slowly at a maximum speed of 22 rpm and is NEC's latest installation.

The turbine is the first to be placed into commercial service by the Alaska Power & Telephone Company in the Yukon River near the communities of Eagle and Eagle Village. Thanks to U.S. $3.2 million in grant funding from the Denali Commission of Alaska, the First Nations town of Eagle Village will likely become the first in America to become powered solely by a hydrokinetic turbine energy source.

"The progress achieved with our partners in Alaska is extremely gratifying for our company", said NEC CEO, Clayton Bear. "We have always adopted a slow and steady approach to our market development, working out any wrinkles before progressing to the next generation of systems. The organization is working towards the introduction of larger 125 and 250 kW models in the near future. We realize that our systems must both be cost effective and proven to be environmentally sound."

If expanded, the project could displace more than 215,000 litres of diesel currently used for energy generation annually near for the 200 residents (approximately) of Eagle and Eagle Village.

NEC is also engaged in a major project at Canoe Pass BC, having an agreement with Fundy Tidal Co. to supply initiatives in the Maritimes and will also be delivering two systems destined for India this summer. In addition, NEC has been working with EPRI in the U.S. on a fish impact assessment with testing on 2 species completed over the last few months at the S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory.

"We are overwhelmed with the enquiries we are getting from around the world", added Bob Moll, NEC Vice President of Corporate Development. "Our engineers are either busy assisting with installations or finalizing specifications for larger equipment".

For more information on NEC's in-stream hydrokinetic power generation systems, please click here.

For more information on the AP&T project, please click here.