“There’s a lot of energy in the ocean — it’s abundant and renewable,” said Martin Wosnik, professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at UNH and AMEC director. “Marine energy has unique attributes that make it an attractive energy source and we think we can harness some of that energy in a reasonably benign way without impacting the ocean too much. We are grateful for the Department of Energy’s continued investment in our expertise at UNH and AMEC to help develop it.”
The five-year DOE award — funded largely through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will fund projects at UNH as well as at AMEC consortium institutions Stony Brook University, Lehigh University and the Coastal Studies Institute.
UNH will make improvements to its marine energy facilities, which include a combined wave and tow tank and deep engineering tank on campus and the UNH Tidal Energy Test Site on the Piscataqua River beneath the Memorial Bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine. Use of these assets extends beyond UNH with researchers and technicians from industry and DOE National Labs traveling to campus to utilize UNH’s unique marine energy research infrastructure.
A series of marine energy summer short courses taught at all four consortium institutions will aim to develop a workforce for this growing industry with “boot camps” for senior undergraduates and more in-depth, advanced courses for graduate students.
“Marine energy development faces a growing need for a highly skilled workforce with an interdisciplinary yet specialized skillset,” said Wosnik.
The DOE estimates that marine energy resources in the U.S. — from waves, tides, ocean and river currents — is equivalent to nearly 60% of all U.S. power generation.
UNH will also launch five research projects, among a total of 12 new projects across AMEC:
In addition to the faculty researchers leading these projects, six UNH Ph.D. students will be involved.
