OGDENSBURG — Alliance Energy will employ technology developed by UEK Corp. of Annapolis, Md., to study St. Lawrence River currents using underwater turbines around Ogdensburg.
Alliance proposes to study the currents using up to 10 underwater turbines, each capable of producing about a half megawatt of electricity. The proposed project could be capable of producing about 10 megawatts of electricity. No timetable was available on when testing could be done.
"In Alliance's view, UEK is distinguished among the field as one of a handful of companies in the world that has the right fit for the location and application that would allow Alliance to advance its environmental stewardship goals for sustainable renewable energy development," Alliance spokeswoman Jane E. Rubinstein said Tuesday.
An underwater turbine, similar to a windmill, would capture the flowing water to rotate the turbine blades, which turn the generator to produce electricity. The power is then cabled to shore and directed to the power grid for distribution.
Philippe Vauthier, president of UEK, short for Underwater Electric Kite, said the turbines would be anchored to the river bed and marked with buoys on the surface to warn boaters. The depth of the turbines can be controlled by computer to capture where the current runs fastest.
Each underwater turbine proposed for the St. Lawrence River is about 17 feet wide and 10 feet tall.
The study would be focused on the American side of the river 5 miles upstream and downstream of the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge. Alliance officials said commercial shipping traffic on the St. Lawrence would not be affected by the project.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is reviewing Alliance's application, submitted last August, seeking a preliminary permit to study the river's energy-producing potential. Another permit would be needed for construction. Alliance submitted detailed information about its proposal to FERC on Monday.
Proponents of underwater turbines say the devices are more environmentally friendly energy sources than fossil fuels or nuclear energy. Opponents have concerns with the technology, including reliability of the equipment, impact upon fish species and spawning opportunities in the river, the size of the structures, the movement of sediment on the riverbed and recreational opportunities.
Mr. Vauthier said the turbines have screens in front of them to prevent fish and diving birds from going through them. UEK has projects under development in Alaska, New Hampshire and Zambia and was selected to develop a project in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.
Alliance contended in its initial FERC filing that the underwater turbines "if designed properly, would not affect water quality, block fish passage, direct aquatic life through turbine generators or impact river transportation in the St. Lawrence Seaway."
The company would need approval from several federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. and state Department of Environmental Conservation, before the project could move forward.
