RFI_V3.pdf

Request for Information

Small Scale Current Energy Device for Use with Coastal Aquaculture

Document Purpose

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is requesting information from developers, owners, and/or manufacturers of small-scale current energy devices capable of deployment and operation to power coastal aquaculture operations. This Request for Information (RFI) will be open for responses beginning on April 14th, 2025, and ending on June 6th, 2025, with responses submitted no later than 5:00 pm PDT. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they would like.

The information gained from this RFI will inform the feasibility assessment and planning for co-location of aquaculture and current energy resources. The purpose of the current energy device will be to provide electricity to the aquaculture system for a potential future pilot or demonstration deployment and to further understanding of the potential to co-locate marine energy with aquaculture from the perspective of a marine energy developer, owner, or manufacturer. This is not a Request for Proposal. PNNL is not planning deployment opportunities at this time and responses to this RFI do not bind PNNL to any further actions related to this topic.

Background on the Research

Along the coast of the U. S., there is a significant potential to harvest energy from marine resources (tidal, river, wave, ocean current, salinity and thermal gradients).

In 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy engaged in a year-long fact-finding effort to understand the marine and coastal opportunities in which marine energy could power the blue economy (e.g., aquaculture, ocean observations, underwater vehicle charging, etc.)1. Coastal aquaculture was identified as being the most predominant form of aquaculture1. This presents an opportunity to investigate the feasibility of co-locating current energy conversion systems with aquaculture in coastal environments. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), PNNL is conducting research to explore the feasibility of co-locating small-scale current energy technologies with coastal aquaculture. Current energy technologies generate electricity from river and tidal current flows. The electricity can be used to power equipment such as shellfish tumblers or upwelling systems, charge batteries for outboard motors, run environmental monitoring sensors, or plug into a micro-grid. Coastal aquaculture is defined as the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of shellfish, seaweed, and fish within 3 nautical miles of the shore2. Many coastal aquaculture operations are located near areas with significant tidal or river energy; however, this energy is not being harnessed to power aquaculture operations. Future research will identify existing aquaculture operations that may be suitable for demonstration. For

1 LiVecchi, A.; Copping, A.; Jenne, D.; Gorton, A.; Preus, R.; Gill, G.; Robichaud, R.; Green, R.; Geerlofs, S.; Gore, S.;

Hume, D.; McShane, W.; Schmaus, C.; Spence, H. (2019). Powering the Blue Economy: Exploring Opportunities for Marine Renewable Energy in Maritime Markets. Report by US Department of Energy (DOE).

2 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/aquaculture/offshore-aquaculture-permitting-guide the purpose of this research, a small-scale current energy converter device is one that has a diameter of less than 3 m and can generate electricity in currents slower than 3 m/s.

Coastal aquaculture operations can vary from small, family run operations with a few employees, to large companies with multiple sites and hundreds of employees. Aquaculture operations that take place in the coastal environment generally involve shellfish or seaweed aquaculture. While not impossible, finfish aquaculture usually occurs farther offshore. Examples of operations in the coastal environment include mussel rafts (floating platforms with mussels on hanging on lines), oyster cages (floating cages containing oysters), and seaweed long lines (ropes suspended in the water column allowing for seaweed attachment). This equipment generally doesn’t require electricity, however supporting operations, such as monitoring, lighting, shellfish sorting, shellfish tumbling, pumps for cleaning, and gantries for lifting heavy loads, does require electricity. A FLUPSY (floating upwelling system) is a common piece of shellfish aquaculture equipment with potentially significant power demands. FLUPSYs are used to contain bivalve seed in the water column, and pump nutrient rich water over the seed to promote growth. Bivalve aquaculture facilities can have one FLUPSY or multiple units depending on the size and scale of their operations. Marine energy may be able to be leveraged to power some of these aquaculture operations.

Information Requested

PNNL is seeking information on a small-scale current energy converter device (products and capabilities) that could be deployed with and power coastal aquaculture systems for a potential future pilot/demonstration deployment. Such a device would ideally already be built or in the design/prototyping phase. Please answer these questions below. Note: not all of the questions need to be answered.

1. Please describe your current energy converter device including dimensions.

2. What is the mooring system for your device? Would it be possible to incorporate the device within an aquaculture structure or would it be preferred to be moored separately? Please explain, including if additional information is required before a mooring system can be chosen.

3. How would your device address the transfer of energy harvested to power the aquaculture operation (cable, connector, battery, etc.)? Please include how readily the device can be integrated with other systems.

4. How much power does your device produce with current speeds between 0.5 and 3 m/s? (Please provide graphs, power matrices, etc. if possible)

5. What is the current cut in speed (m/s) for your device to start producing power, and what is the maximum current speed your device can handle?

6. What are the siting requirements for your device? (bathymetry, depth, benthic habitat type, distance to port or other infrastructure, optimal current speed, etc.)

7. What is the required inspection and maintenance of your device and at what interval do these occur?

8. What is a projected or estimated lead time for delivery of a device that could be deployed for a co-located aquaculture and current energy development project in the US?

9. Has your device been previously tested in the laboratory or in the field? If so, please include how and where it has been tested as well as the results of the test deployment.

10. Were environmental effects monitored during this test? If not, are there any environmental effects assessments you would want to be carried out for future tests?

Request for Information Response Guidelines

This RFI will be open for responses beginning on April 14th, 2025, and ending on June 6th, 2025.

Responses to this RFI shall be sent by email to Laurie Martin (laurie.martin@pnnl.gov) or Jay Wertenberger (jay.wertenberger@pnnl.gov) by no later than 5:00 pm PDT on June 6th, 2025.

Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish, as long as the response is no more than 10 pages. Please identify your answers by responding to a specific question by number. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF attachment to the email and no more than 10 pages in length, 11-point font, and 1-inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

PNNL will not respond to individual submissions; however, PNNL may publish a technical report of RFI responses that does not contain personally identifiable information or confidential, proprietary, or privileged information.

A response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to pursue the research or ideas discussed.

Respondents are requested to provide the following information at the start of their response to this

RFI:

• Company / institution name

• Company / institution contact

• Contact's address, phone number, and e-mail address

Disclaimer and Important Notes This is solely a request for information and not a funding announcement. There is no guarantee that an RFP or funding will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if PNNL chooses to issue an RFP regarding the subject matter.

Any information obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Government on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy development; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated as information only. PNNL will review and consider all responses in their formulation of program strategies for the identified materials of interest that are the subject of this request. Respondents are advised that PNNL is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind PNNL or DOE to any further actions related to this topic.