Natel Energy, a leading supplier of hydropower solutions, announced this Wednesday it will develop, finance, and construct three dam sites along Louisiana’s Red River. The company will develop the projects alongside Nelson Energy, a Minneapolis-based firm.
Firstly, the developments along the Red River will include the installation of 60 and 90 of Natel Energy’s flagship product, the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT), to retrofit three existing dams. Indeed, the RHTs will add about 80 megawatts of renewable power to the grid; enough to meet the power needs of 35,960 average US homes each year.
Moreover, for the retrofitting of the three dams, Natel Energy will install around 30 of its RHT turbines, which will enable cost-effective production of sustainable, distributed, reliable renewable energy while supporting the health and climate resilience of watershed ecosystems.
In addition, two of the projects will connect to points within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator Transmission System; also, one of the developments will connect to the Southwest Power Pool. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensed the developments. They will be under construction around 2024 and 2025.
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Natel Energy pushing Hydro Restoration Turbine technology
In fact, it was partner Nelson Energy that obtained the FERC licenses. It did so Natel Could expedite retrofitting the existing dams on a timeline. Indeed, the Red River project builds off of the success of Natel’s Monroe Hydro Project in Madras, Oregon, which demonstrates how Natel’s sustainable RHT technology can be integrated with existing water infrastructure.
Furthermore, the RHT turbines are top-notch technology devices with a direct-drive, low-head, modular design. About such matter, Gia Schneider, CEO, and co-founder of Natel, said. “We are excited to partner with Nelson Energy—one of the leading firms in advancing hydropower projects from concept to licensing.”
The executive also remarked. “The Red River Projects mark a major addition to our Energy Platform development portfolio; an effort that Natel is undertaking to scale deployment of our Restoration Hydro Turbines and also digital forecasting tools to advance the potential of modern, sustainable hydropower.”
Finally, Doug Spaulding, president of Nelson Energy, commented. “Nelson has teamed with Natel based on their demonstrated experience and staffing to move projects from a licensed concept to an operational project.”
