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The U.S. Division of Power (DOE) right this moment launched the Powering the Blue Economic system™: Energy at Sea Prize, which can award as much as $1.7 million to opponents to advance applied sciences that use marine power to energy ocean-based actions.

Subsequent-generation maritime or “blue” applied sciences are shifting farther offshore to seize information throughout the ocean. Purposes might embrace ocean-observing gadgets, aquaculture installations, and far more, and all require entry to constant, regionally out there energy. This prize challenges opponents to fulfill this want by figuring out new, modern, and possible marine power ideas that harness the ability of the ocean.

“Marine power applied sciences have unbelievable potential to energy techniques out at sea that serve broad societal wants, like gathering information about our huge and largely unexplored oceans,” stated Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Power Effectivity and Renewable Power. “I’m excited to see the ingenious ideas opponents develop and the way they may also help advance our purpose to realize net-zero emissions throughout all sectors of our economic system by 2050.”

Ideas can energy any off-grid use within the ocean with marine power, which incorporates energy from waves, tides, and ocean currents. To speed up the commercialization of the nascent marine power business, opponents’ ideas ought to have a excessive potential for eventual deployment at sea.

Over two phases, the Energy at Sea Prize will incentivize opponents to develop novel, marine energy-powered ideas by selecting at the very least one integration problem particular to the blue economic system:

• Entry: How does the answer assist to scale back the excessive value or restricted alternatives for service, upkeep, and/or intervention?
• Deployment period: How does the answer enhance the deployment period at sea?
• Power storage: How does the answer enhance the capabilities presently restricted by battery capability?
• Environmental/ecological influence: How does the answer reduce the unfavourable results of interactions with native wildlife?
• Harsh operational situations: How does the answer tackle operations in difficult situations and undesirable progress of marine organisms?
• Hybridization with different renewable power assets: How does the answer make the most of marine power to deal with energy gaps brought on by intermittency of different non-marine renewable power assets?
• Suitability of energy: How does the answer maximize effectivity?

The primary part, CONCEPT, will heart on creating groups and sound ideas, awarding as much as 20 winners from a money prize pool of as much as $200,000. Ideas in early phases of growth are welcome—from a system, subsystem, or element that has not but been developed to people who have had some earlier work accomplished as much as the prototype stage. The CONCEPT part is now open for submissions and can shut on July 26, 2024. The problem’s first webinar shall be held November 29 to tell opponents about prize particulars.

The second part, DEVELOP, goals to raised place opponents for continued know-how growth following the prize. As much as 20 DEVELOP part winners shall be chosen and share a money prize pool of as much as $1.5 million.

Along with money prizes, opponents will obtain a number of forms of help all through the competitors, together with webinars, networking classes, and coaching in marine power, purposes within the blue economic system, commercialization finest practices, or different subjects of curiosity.

This prize helps the targets of the DOE Water Energy Applied sciences Workplace (WPTO)’s Powering the Blue Economic system initiative.

This prize is funded by WPTO and is run by DOE’s Nationwide Renewable Power Laboratory (NREL). The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Workplace of Aquaculture, NOAA-led U.S. Built-in Ocean Observing System, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, NOAA’s Nationwide Sea Grant Faculty Program, and DOE’s Pacific Northwest Nationwide Laboratory additionally present technical help.

Study extra about collaborating within the prize and make contact with PowerAtSea@NREL.gov for extra info. Go to American-Made Challenges to remain updated with different DOE competitions designed to spur innovation in clear power.

Courtesy of Power.gov.