Verdant Power Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project Deploys Latest Generation Of Water Turbine Technology To Generate Electricity From East River Currents Off The Banks Of Roosevelt Island

Since 2002, Verdant Power's Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project (RITE) has been developing water turbine technology to generate electric power from the currents of the East River next to the Roosevelt Island Foodtown (formerly Gristedes) supermarket on the Queens side of the East River.

Last Thursday, October 22, Verdant Power continued development of the technology by deploying their 5th Generation Water Turbine

 

in the East River.

Verdant Power Roosevelt Island East River Water Turbines getting ready this afternoon to be installed on seabed later this evening. https://t.co/YIV6QLpElF pic.twitter.com/AEREkD4eFj

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) October 22, 2020

This Verdant Power video show the 3 water turbines being installed in the East River after arriving on a a barge traveling from New Jersey.

 I spoke with Verdant Power CEO John Bannigan and Founder/Chief Marketing Officer Trey Taylor about the year long test project prior to the deployment of the 5th generation Water Turbines.

 

 Here's how the water turbine technology works. According to Verdant Power:

The East River is a tidal strait with strong water currents that change direction between flood and ebb tides approximately four times each day (with periods of little or noflow between tides, called “slack tide”). As shown in the figure below,

when the water velocity exceeds approximately 1.0 m/s (3.3 ft/s or 2 knots), the turbine blades begin to rotate and the units generate electricity for approximately 4.5 hours (red areas in figure). As the tide shifts direction, the turbines yaw (turn approximately 170 degrees) to generate power from the current flowing in the opposite direction. This cycle repeats in a very predictable manner approximately every 6 hours. The regular nature of tidal currents provides a significant advantage for tidal power as compared to other, less predictable resources like wind and solar power.

More info on Verdant Power and Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project.