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Photo, courtesy of Kris Unger/Verdant Power, Inc.
A triple-bladed free flow system turbine is lowered into New York City’s East River as part of a pilot project by Verdant Power. The Rutherford Green Team is interested in the feasibility of the technology for the Passaic River. |
By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter
RUTHERFORD (Nov. 12, 2009) — The Passaic River has a reputation for contamination and pollution. But, the Rutherford Green Team wants to know if the river’s tides and currents could be redeemed as an environmentally friendly power source for generators manufacturing electricity.
Could a green energy phoenix rise from the murky, tainted water that forms South Bergen’s western boundary?
At an October meeting of the Rutherford Mayor and Council, a resident suggested putting turbines in the river, and Councilwoman Kimberly Birdsall said that the newly re-organized Rutherford Green Team had discussed the idea as well.
Six underwater turbines have been successfully tested in New York City’s East River, confirmed Trey Taylor, cofounder and president of Verdant Power, the company responsible for the East River pilot project.
Those six turbines have generated 70-megawatt hours of electricity for a Gristedes supermarket and a parking garage, according to information provided by the company. Now, Verdant is seeking a federal license to install 30 turbines in New York City’s East River. This time, Verdant hopes to eliminate drilling into the channel by using gravity alone to hold the turbines at the bottom of the river, Taylor said.
The idea is simple: instead of burning fossil fuels to create steam to turn generators, underwater blades catch existing currents to create mechanical power, which is used to generate electricity — a windmill of sorts, without the wind.
Verdant has not investigated the Passaic, but it differs from the East River in at least one critical aspect — the East River is not a river at all, but a tidal channel, Taylor pointed out. To be effective, Verdant’s technology requires water current of four knots, or approximately six feet per second, and a channel depth of 28 to 30 feet, Taylor said.
The Verdant system was designed in 1989, and the company’s business plan calls for slow, incremental growth that allows environmental impacts to be researched, Taylor continued.
“Since we border right on the Passaic River, it might be something that’s feasible,” said Green Team Chairman Ray Tetro.
The Green Team members would like to find a partner, possibly a local college, to determine if the Passaic would be a good place for turbines. But, Tetro’s not interested in the idea just for environmental bragging rights. Green energy needs to marry environmental protection to economic benefit. If the technology costs $100,000, and the return on investment is $500,000, then it’s worth it, according to Tetro. But, the economic benefit is a critical piece of the puzzle. A $100,000 expense would not be justified if it only produces a savings of $50,000.
Fish are another concern for Tetro, he said during a phone interview.
But, Verdant’s research so far indicates that the system hasn’t created an underwater massacre.
The East River turbines turn slowly, approximately 30 to 35 rotations per minute, Taylor said, and because of that, fish go around the blades. Verdant’s next step is to determine if the river-based turbines are affecting migration patterns, Taylor added.
The Passaic isn’t the only water available to New Jersey for current powered turbines.
Ocean Power Technologies, based in Pennington, has tested its Power Buoy wave energy turbine off the coast of Atlantic City for the last three years. Different from the river bottom turbines used by Verdant, OPT installs floating buoys that are anchored to the ocean floor, according to a statement released by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, one of the state and federal partners in the OPT project.
Residents here, near the dirty and salty Passaic River and the Atlantic Ocean, may agree with the Ancient Mariner — water is everywhere, but none is fit to drink. But, if there were a Rime of the Modern Mariner, it may conclude that the same water is fit to keep lights and laptops burning.
