The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have expanded the Hydropower Technical Collaboration Program (TCP) to include marine energy applications. The updated program, Water Power TCP, now supports collaborative projects focused on hydropower, pumped storage hydropower, and marine energy, allowing selected participants access to DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL. Collaborators benefit from world-class expertise and cutting-edge equipment while exploring new solutions for water power technologies using advanced manufacturing and materials (AMM).
The new Water Power TCP builds on the success of the previous Hydropower TCP, broadening its scope to meet growing industry needs for manufacturing marine energy devices. The Water Power TCP provides a platform for technology developers to test bold ideas with minimal investment and reduced risk. Projects under the program typically last 6 to 18 months with maximum funding of $240,000. The selected participants are expected to provide a cost share in matching funds with WPTO — typically in-kind contributions with no funding changing hands — that cover labor, materials, travel, and equipment. Eligible applicants include industries or research organizations that currently fabricate prototype equipment, manufacture equipment, process materials, produce manufacturing-related software, or integrate energy systems in the U.S. for commercial applications. Projects must demonstrate clear benefits to the hydropower or marine energy industries, and align with WPTO and MDF priorities, aiming to enhance performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and resilience of domestic supply chains, as well as to accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing practices for water power technologies.
The program supports WPTO’s mission to advance hydropower and marine energy technologies by reducing operational costs, improving system performance, encouraging novel designs, and increasing the availability of critical equipment through reshoring. Participants will benefit from a streamlined collaboration process via short-term Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) or User Agreements, retaining intellectual property rights for technologies they develop. This program underscores ORNL’s AMM capabilities and its leadership in supporting advanced energy technologies. WPTO and ORNL aim to drive innovation in both hydropower and marine energy, ensuring the continued development of the water power technologies that keep the energy grid secure through collaborative research and advanced manufacturing.
Interested applicants can find comprehensive program details, eligibility requirements, and application instructions in the program website, which includes all necessary resources for submission.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science. — Galen Fader