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Littoral expands Kootznahoo tidal project
Project would provide stored power to supplement other energy sources for City of Angoon; FERC issued preliminary permit in 2021
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Littoral Power Systems to amend its preliminary permit for the proposed Kootznahoo Inlet Tidal Power Project, expanding it from 0.42 square miles to 0.79 square miles.
FERC said in its Oct. 2 order amending the proposed project that Littoral filed an application to amend the preliminary project based on preliminary investigation.
The preliminary permit was issued June 11, 2021, for a project consisting of: a partially buoyant submerged tidal current energy converter with a 3-meter-diameter rotor tethered to an anchor post driven into the Kootznahoo seabed generating up to 300 kilowatts; a dual electric cable, each with a 13.2-kilovolt capacity, connecting to on-land storage; and on-land energy storage consisting of lithium-ion battery cells in the City of Angoon. FERC said the project is not intended to directly connect to the Angoon electrical system. On-land storage would be 250 kilowatts with an estimated annual generation not yet determined.
Expansion request In its June 5, 2024, annual report Littoral told FERC: "the results of tidal flow and velocity simulations indicate that areas of higher energy generation may exist outside of current boundaries" and requested that the boundary be expanded to increase the approved project area from some 0.42 square miles to 0.79 square miles.
FERC said there were no comments, interventions or protests to the proposed amendment after it issued a public notice of the changes June 11, with a closing date of July 11.
"The size of the proposed project boundary is commensurate with the proposed technology, and the additional areas of interest do not overlap with the project boundary of any other licensed projects or preliminary permits," FERC said in approving the amendment.
Littoral said in its progress reports that it has received input on site selection and other aspects of the project from local stakeholders; conducted tidal current velocity modeling; done bathymetric studies; confirmed species of wildlife in the project boundary; determined the presence of unexpected hazards; and established specific loading scenarios and specifications for the tidal turbine.
The resource When Littoral applied for the preliminary permit in 2021, it told FERC that tidal currents at Turn Point are known to be powerful and cited an Alaska Power Authority report from 1981 ("Angoon Tidal Power and Comparative Analysis") which looked at power generation options that would allow the City of Angoon to replace on-site diesel generators. Generating electricity from tidal power in Kootznahoo Inlet was one of the options considers, but, due to the location's remoteness, Littoral said, "more accurate assessments of the tidal power resources are not available."
Littoral said then that the concept for the project was to generate electric power from a marine hydrokinetic device and then store the power for use by Angoon as a supplement to other energy sources.
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