PORT HURON – A new form of clean energy, which harnesses the movements of rivers and tides, was tested by Vortex Hydro Energy on the St. Clair River. The company, using technology developed at the University of Michigan, installed a prototype of its VIVACE converter. The formal launch is scheduled for 2011.
?Communities throughout Michigan are looking for ways to diversify their economy, welcoming in new technology and business,? said David Haynes, director of Business Attraction, Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County. ?St. Clair County has been very active in welcoming alternative energy projects and companies into the County to test and manufacture their projects.?
Several local St. Clair County based businesses have stepped up to provide support for this project. Specifically, Dunn Paper, a leading manufacturer of specialty papers has donated facilities and resources, including access to the river as a launch space for the VIVACE. This local-owned company has joined others in the county in welcoming new technology that could improve the Blue Water Region in the future.
This is the first test of the converter in the St. Clair River, but once the VIVACE is fully developed, the energy converter will be manufactured in Michigan, which will mean jobs not only with Vortex Hydro Energy, but among community partners including those in St. Clair County.
?We are enthusiastic about this project and the benefits, including natural and business resources, which St. Clair County can bring to this project,? said Haynes. ?St. Clair County is dedicated to creating an environment where companies come to do business. We are thrilled with the work that Vortex Hydro Energy is doing in the county and the companies within the county that have engaged to make this project possible.?
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