While Small HydroPower (< 10 MW) represents the largest market opportunity for hydropower industries and the best feasible solution to further increase the penetration of renewable energies, its market penetration is stopped by the too high Levelized Cost of Electricity (within the range 0.10-0.27 €/kWh, two to five times higher than the cost of large Hydro Power (HP) plants and the low conversion efficiency when applied to low water falls (low-head applications < 2 m), although this situation represents about 70% of Small HydroPower potentially exploitable applications. The mini/micro HP (m/µ) technology represents a large market opportunity for EU industries and the best feasible solution to further increase the penetration of renewable energies (Electrical Power Vision 2040 for Europe target = 40% by 2040), in a logic of energy production decentralization and distribution, coherently with the European strategy.
HyKinetics is an innovative m/µHP plant able to competitively exploit the hydro- kinetics energy of the water flow and applied in zero-head applications, without the need of fall or dam. The turbine design is based on 3-blades axial technology, specifically designed for application on rivers, water flow channels and able to be customized according to the characteristics of the installation site with only few modifications. The solution has been validated on the field thanks to the testing of a first prototype, installed on the Po river and tested for 1 year.
HyKinetics is characterized by a very low impact thanks to: the reduced size and low rotation speed of the blades (no impact on the fluvial fauna); the placement of the turbine on a floating barge easily removable, not fixed on the river bank (no impact on the river bed); the energy supply and distribution systems are fully immersed, while on the surface there are only the parts needed for maintenance (no visual impact); self-starting simply by the thrust generated by the flow of water, activating the rotary movement of the blades and eliminating the manual start-up by on-site personnel.
The innovative blades shape allows a very low water cut-in speed (1 m/s), leading to an increase of the turbine yearly productivity (up to 4,000 kWh/kW); and an unparalleled conversion efficiency, with a power coefficient Cp up to 37%.
In order to reach the market, COSBI needs to:
-) select the power capacity of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP);
-) design the MVP and test the final prototype in an operational environment, to reach TRL9;
-) industrialize the technology, creating an optimized supply chain, protecting the intellectual property (IP) and validating the technology to the already partners and stakeholders;
-) develop and implement the HyKinetics Business Model.
