Our Solutions
Turbine Generator Unit
Scalable Grid Integrated Systems
RivGen
®
Power System
TidGen
®
Power System
Underwater Mobile Power Systems
Our Approach
Community Engagement
Site Assessment
Environmental Affairs
Adaptive Management
Monitoring Programs
Resources
Strategic Advisory Services
Media
News
Press Releases
Milestones
About Us
Where We Are
ORPC in the U.S.
ORPC Canada
ORPC Ireland
ORPC Chile
Team
Mission & Core Values
Our Partners
Careers
Honors & Awards
Contact Us
Markets
Remote Communities
Subsea Energy
Utility Grids
Remote Communities
Remote Communities
Over 700 million people worldwide live in remote communities with no access to traditional energy infrastructure, relying on diesel fuel to generate electricity. Diesel must be shipped, trucked, or flown in to these communities, resulting in electricity costs up to 15 times the cost of power from a traditional utility grid. This method of electricity generation is expensive and environmentally risky due to the potential for fuel spills during transit, delivery and storage, as well as exposure to harmful emissions.
Since 2013, ORPC has partnered with the Village of Igiugig, Alaska, to lower energy costs by utilizing renewable energy generated by the powerful Kvichak River. The Kvichak River is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon population, on which many villagers rely for their subsistence and livelihood.
In 2014, ORPC successfully built, deployed, and operated its RivGen
®
Power System, delivering electricity to Igiugig’s diesel microgrid. In 2015, ORPC re-installed and operated the RivGen system in Igiugig to demonstrate its latest technology advancements and, in the process, reduced the community's diesel fuel use by one-third when the system was operating.
In May 2019, the Igiugig Village Council was issued a 10-year pilot project license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to construct, operate and maintain the Igiugig Hydrokinetic Project. Igiugig is the first tribal entity in the U.S. to achieve this approval, moving the rural community closer to using diesel fuel for emergency-backup only.
In July 2019, the Village of Igiugig and ORPC celebrated the launch of ORPC’s commercial RivGen Power System, combining its patented underwater power system with smart grid electronics and energy storage. In the fall, the first of two RivGen devices was installed in the Kvichak River to operate year-round. Installation of a smart microgrid system and energy storage are planned for 2020, and a second RivGen device will be installed in the Kvichak River in 2021 to provide sustainable, baseload power to the community.
markets
Remote Communities
Subsea Energy
Utility Grids
News
Press Releases
05 Apr. 2022
ORPC Partnering with Matanuska-Susitna Borough to Trial
09 Feb. 2022
ORPC to set up testing center for next-gen RivGen®
08 Feb. 2022
Portland-based renewable energy company to expand into
07 Feb. 2022
ORPC team to test hydro-kinetic device in Maine
22 Sep. 2021
ORPC Canada and CIMA+ honored at AFG Quebec Grands Prix
View All
18 May. 2022
ORPC Selects Maine Company to Fabricate Turbine Shafts
05 Apr. 2022
ORPC Partnering with Matanuska-Susitna Borough to Trial
07 Feb. 2022
Our Katahdin and ORPC, Inc. Partner on Innovative Energ
16 Aug. 2021
ORPC Secures $25M in Growth Capital Led by Canadian Shi
09 Aug. 2021
ORPC Featured on The Weather Channel on August 10
View All