ORPC, a global leader in marine energy technology and a developer of clean, renewable power systems that harness energy from free-flowing rivers and tidal currents, announced today (May 18) it has selected Millinocket Fabrication & Machine to manufacture the turbine shafts for its portfolio of products, including its Modular RivGen® devices which will be assembled, tested and showcased later this year at One North, also located in Millinocket, Maine. Earlier this year, ORPC announced its plans to create a testing center at One North to support design and development of the next-generation Modular RivGen.
"We are excited to be working with ORPC and look forward to manufacturing the components needed for their product testing," said Fred Lewis, President of Millinocket Fabrication & Machine. "Our company is one of the oldest in Millinocket. We have been designing and manufacturing parts for our partners on the former GNP site for over 100 years and we are happy to welcome a new business to the One North industrial site."
"The addition of Millinocket Fabrication to our Maine-based suppliers demonstrates the capabilities and quality workmanship of Maine contractors, as well as their competitiveness with manufacturing facilities outside the state," said Stuart Davies, ORPC's CEO. "Our company is expanding its footprint in Maine and adding jobs. Securing business with Millinocket Fabrication helps strengthen ORPC's strategy for market growth ahead."
In 2022, ORPC's RivGen Power System, operated in partnership with the Village of Igiugig, Alaska, became the longest operating hydrokinetic project in the Americas. It provides baseload renewable power from the free-flowing Kvichak River to the remote community and with the addition of a second RivGen device, smart grid controls and a battery energy storage system now in progress, Igiugig will reduce its diesel use by 60 to 90 percent. The Igiugig project is an exemplar of how ORPC can provide clean renewable energy to remote communities worldwide, replacing diesel-fueled microgrids, lessening diesel dependence, and lowering carbon emissions, noise, and environmental risk. Over 700 million people worldwide depend upon diesel microgrids, and two billion people have little or no access to electricity. ORPC is responding to market opportunities in over 40 countries and has active projects in Canada and Chile, in addition to Alaska.
ORPC's Modular RivGen system has been designed for use in grid-connected markets, with applications for large rivers, electrical vehicle (EV) charging networks, hydroelectric facilities, irrigation canals and bridges, piers, breakwaters and flood controls systems. Along with using its own resources, ORPC secured funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office to help initiate associated product and market development.
In addition to providing the turbine shaft for the Modular RivGen device, Millinocket Fabrication will supply similar components for ORPC's commercial RivGen device and its TidGen®-80 device, currently under development and scheduled for initial testing later this year in Cobscook By in Eastport. ORPC will begin Modular RivGen product testing later this year at One North in Millinocket Stream and will work with One North to evaluate the site as a future hydrokinetic testing facility and a location to demonstrate contemporary use cases such as EV charging.
ORPC's Modular RivGen® device for which Millinocket Fabrication will manufacture turbine shafts
