BOURNE – The Bourne Tidal Test Site has deployed its first test turbine since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown activity at the site.
The turbine was designed by Littoral Power Systems, Inc. from New Bedford, and will be used to study potential tidal energy developments as part of the region’s shift towards more green energy.
Two additional turbines were planned to be installed at the site during 2020, but COVID-19 restrictions cancelled their deployment.
The site provides a cheaper solution for testing tidal turbine technology, allowing tests to be completed for a fraction of the cost of a full-scale deployment of the new technology.
With the BTTS, scaled-up turbine tests can move from university tanks to real ocean conditions for as little as $30,000.
In the case of the recently-installed turbine, the project will be financed by the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council and will cost less than one percent of what a full-scale site would.
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