PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Projects/Modular RivGen Test in Millinocket Maine

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Modular RivGen Test in Millinocket Maine

In January 2023, ORPC deployed its new low-flow Modular RivGen hydrokinetic power system in Maine's Millinocket Stream followed by a second device in May 2023. These devices were deployed at One North, a renewable energy hub and industrial park located at a former paper mill site and managed by local nonprofit Our Katahdin. The project goal was to demonstrate the system’s potential to provide resilient baseload power for uses like electrical vehicle (EV) charging and critical infrastructure. The project has provided an opportunity for teams at top U.S. research universities and national labs, including University of Washington and Sandia National Laboratories, to conduct research through the U.S. Department of Energy’s TEAMER program.

The width of the two devices when connected was about 51 ft, while the width of Millinocket Stream at the project site is approximately 100 ft wide. Considering that recreation use (e.g., paddlers, fishing vessels) was possible during testing, the devices' corners were marked by four buoys, with one additional buoy marking the location of an upstream anchor.

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Additional Information
Project Status
Is the project actively being planned or is deployed in the water (active)? Or was the project canceled or completed (inactive)?
Inactive
Project Life Cycle
Project Progress through life cycle:
  • Planned: Project has identified a deployment location and is preparing for deployment
  • Operational: Project is deployed in the water and is active
  • Completed: Project was previously deployed in the water
  • Decommissioned: Installation has been fully removed in accordance with regulations
  • Canceled: Project was canceled before being deployed in the water
Completed
Max Rated Power Capacity
The maximum amount of electricity that can be produced by project, based on available resources and device nameplate capacity.
.014 MW
Operational Duration
January 2023 - 2023
Project Duration
2023 - 2023
Energy Resource
  • Riverine
Project Scale
Sub-scale
Number of Devices
2
Grid Connectivity
Not Grid Connected
Waterbody
Millinocket Stream, Maine
Site Characteristics
Geographic characterization for the project location:
  • Open Ocean: Main body of ocean, not enclosed or partially enclosed by land
  • Coastal: Open water near the coast, spanning between land and shelf boundary
  • Enclosed Bay: water that is partially surrounded by land, with a mouth open to larger water
  • Constricted Channel: A channel where water flows quickly due to narrowing by the land
  • River: Water flowing from land towards a larger body of water
Constricted Channel
Country
United States
Last Modified
13 June 2025


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Citation Formats

“Modular RivGen Test in Millinocket Maine.” Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects, PRIMRE, United States Department of Energy, https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Modular_RivGen_Test_in_Millinocket_Maine. Accessed <day> <monthRoman> <year>.
Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects. <year>. "Modular RivGen Test in Millinocket Maine." Accessed <monthRoman> <day>, <year>. https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Modular_RivGen_Test_in_Millinocket_Maine.