Florida public power utility Lake Worth Beach Utility is participating in a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to enable the commercial readiness of ocean energy technologies.
Florida Atlantic University’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center has been awarded an $800,000 grant from the DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office to enable the commercial readiness of ocean energy technologies.
SNMREC, in collaboration with a team of experts that includes, among others, the City of Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility, is embarking on a feasibility study to set up an ocean current test facility offshore Palm Beach County.
“The study will be the first of its kind, leveraging world-class marine energy expertise,” FAU said.
SNMREC aims to create a blue energy industry cluster in Southeast Florida that covers all aspects of utility-scale ocean current energy projects, including turbine development, undersea cables and marine services, leveraging its role in the ClimateReady Tech Hub and the Marine Research Hub.
FAU said that no active ocean current test facilities exist globally, though some locations might be suitable.
“In the U.S., North Carolina is the only other location where the Gulf Stream is close to the coast, but it is not ideal. Similar facilities for tidal and wave energy have been around for decades,” FAU said.
“Major ports, such as the Port of Palm Beach and Port Everglades, straddle SNMREC’s proposed test site offshore Palm Beach County to provide excellent access,” said Gabriel Alsenas, principal investigator and director of SNMREC at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.
Local utilities such as the City of Lake Worth Beach’s municipal utility and Florida Power & Light offer essential grid connections and support for a clean energy transition, he said. “Additionally, SNMREC has a strong network and extensive experience assisting current energy conversion technologies developers at various stages, further enhancing the region’s attractiveness for these projects.”
Ocean energy from waves, currents and gradients can be harnessed to provide electricity and help coastal areas achieve energy independence. For marine energy to be attractive at a utility-scale, it must be abundant, predictable and consistently available, FAU said.
Of marine energy options, only open ocean currents like the Florida Current offer these characteristics in the U.S. This current, constrained by the Bahamian Shelf, flows close to shore and near major population centers, making it a prime candidate for energy generation. The challenge is developing efficient, reliable, cost-effective technologies to capture its energy, FAU pointed out.
The project aims to assess the feasibility of a grid-connected offshore test facility in the Florida Current to ensure these technologies can be safely and economically integrated.
"SNMREC’s strategy focuses on establishing a grid connection as soon as possible, ensuring compatibility with a variety of marine energy and blue economy technologies, phasing future construction to manage risks and costs, integrating regional economic opportunities, and engaging stakeholders throughout the process," FAU said.
The SNMREC team will oversee the project, manage technical deliverables, requirements, risks and cost estimates, and coordinate with the Department of Energy.
The City of Lake Worth Beach will assist with grid and shoreside facility compatibility.
