In the USA, a company 'cuts through' the river in Alaska with a submerged turbine that generates electricity 24 hours a day using the invisible force of the current, reducing diesel without relying on wind or sun.

In the USA, a company ‘cuts through’ the river in Alaska with a submerged turbine that generates electricity 24 hours a day using the invisible force of the current, reducing diesel without relying on wind or sun.

Written by Alisson Ficher

Published on 29/05/2026 at 17:59

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Submerged technology installed in a remote Alaskan village uses the Kvichak River’s current to generate renewable electricity in a local microgrid, without a dam and with less dependence on diesel transported over long distances.

A remote Alaskan village has started using the current of the Kvichak River to produce renewable electricity in a local microgrid, without a dam, solar panels, or wind turbines.

The RivGen system, from the American company Ocean Renewable Power Company, ORPC, was implemented in Igiugig in partnership with the community, which has historically relied on diesel generators to keep services, homes, and small businesses running.

The technology is noteworthy because it transforms the natural flow of the river into predictable electricity generation.

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How the submerged turbine works in the Kvichak River

The RivGen works similarly to a wind turbine installed underwater.

Instead of wind, the machine uses the force of moving water to spin hydrokinetic turbines, which drive a generator and send electricity to the community’s electrical infrastructure.

The main difference lies in the energy source. While solar systems vary according to available light and wind turbines depend on wind intensity, rivers with constant flow can offer more regular generation, provided they have the appropriate speed and depth for this type of equipment.

Documents from the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission describe the system as a technology designed to operate year-round, using the natural currents of the Kvichak River.

The same record states that the equipment’s sensors monitor water speed, turbine rotation, electricity generation, and internal conditions of the components.

This automated operation is relevant for isolated areas, where specialized technical teams are not always readily available.

Even so, the project also included local training, with residents involved in stages such as installation, removal, inspection, and maintenance of the system.

Microgrid in Alaska reduces dependence on diesel generators

In many remote regions of Alaska, electricity relies on diesel-powered microgrids.

The fuel needs to be transported over long distances, stored locally, and used continuously to ensure supply, which increases costs and logistical risks.

The RivGen proposal is to reduce part of this dependence with a source installed in the territory itself.

ORPC states that the system was designed for communities outside major power grids, with modular construction, the possibility of assembly in remote areas, and direct connection to existing local grids.

In Igiugig, the technology does not automatically eliminate all diesel generators.

It acts as a renewable source capable of complementing the microgrid and alleviating the use of fossil fuel, especially during periods when the current can meet a significant portion of the demand.

The company reports that the project in partnership with the Igiugig Village Council includes two RivGen units, updating of smart grid controls, and use of battery storage.

According to ORPC, the set aims to reduce the community’s diesel consumption by 60% to 90%, as well as decrease operational costs and environmental risks.

Environmental monitoring tracks salmon in the river

The coexistence of the turbine with the local environment is one of the most sensitive points of the project.

The Kvichak River is part of an important region for salmon, a resource associated with the economy, food, and culture of southwestern Alaska communities.

According to the United States Department of Energy, rigorous monitoring of RivGen has not recorded negative interactions with local migratory salmon populations.

This information is relevant because the technology depends on installation within the riverbed, in an area where the protection of aquatic life is a central condition for the project’s acceptance.

Before commercial implementation, studies with prototypes in 2014 and 2015 had already observed the interaction of adult salmon near an operating turbine, with no impacts recorded on the fish, according to the Department of Energy itself.

The agency also highlighted that the Kvichak hosts one of the largest wild sockeye salmon routes in the world.

This monitoring does not turn the technology into an automatic solution for any river.

Each deployment depends on licensing, environmental analysis, current speed, depth, river traffic, present species, and characteristics of the electrical grid that will receive the energy.

Clean energy goes beyond sun and wind

The experience in Igiugig expands the repertoire of renewable solutions for areas outside major consumer centers.

Instead of relying on solar parks, wind towers, or large dams, the village began to explore a source that was already part of the local landscape: the river current.

The model also reduces the visual impact compared to other generation infrastructures.

Since the equipment is submerged, electricity production does not appear on the horizon like a wind tower nor occupy large land areas like a field of solar panels.

Even so, the scale remains local. The RivGen was developed for microgrids and isolated communities, not to replace large national electrical systems.

Its application makes more sense where there are rivers with adequate flow, nearby consumption, and difficulty accessing fuels or transmission lines.

The case of Alaska shows that energy transition in remote regions may require different solutions than those adopted in urban areas.

In riverside villages, hydrokinetic generation can occupy a specific space: producing electricity near consumption, with less structural interference in the watercourse and without relying solely on sun or wind conditions.

In the Kvichak River, the current began to share with diesel the responsibility of keeping Igiugig’s microgrid supplied.

The submerged machine does not alter the strategic role of generators in an isolated community, but it demonstrates how local and constant sources can reduce part of the exposure to the cost of transported fuel.

In the USA, a company ‘cuts through’ the river in Alaska with a submerged turbine that generates electricity 24 hours a day using the invisible force of the current, reducing diesel without relying on wind or sun.

Submerged technology installed in a remote Alaskan village uses the Kvichak River’s current to generate renewable electricity in a local microgrid, without a dam and with less dependence on diesel transported over long distances.

How the submerged turbine works in the Kvichak River

Microgrid in Alaska reduces dependence on diesel generators

Environmental monitoring tracks salmon in the river

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In the USA, a company ‘cuts through’ the river in Alaska with a submerged turbine that generates electricity 24 hours a day using the invisible force of the current, reducing diesel without relying on wind or sun.

Submerged technology installed in a remote Alaskan village uses the Kvichak River’s current to generate renewable electricity in a local microgrid, without a dam and with less dependence on diesel transported over long distances.

How the submerged turbine works in the Kvichak River

Microgrid in Alaska reduces dependence on diesel generators

Environmental monitoring tracks salmon in the river

Clean energy goes beyond sun and wind

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Engineers had to pour concrete mixed with tons of ice throughout entire nights in the Dubai desert to erect the Burj Khalifa; any carelessness could clog the pipes half a mile high.

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