Largest US Seafood Processing City Uses In-Conduit Hydropower For Clean Energy Recovery From Water Operations

Unalaska’s Pyramid Water Treatment Plant Deploys Two Safety-Certified Rentricity Flow-to-Wire Systems energized for Clean Renewable Power

Rentricity Inc., the premier in-conduit hydropower company, based in New York City has completed its third Alaska project within the Pyramid Water Treatment Plant located on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands.

The City of Unalaska, with over 4,000 permanent residents, supports the largest seafood industry in the United States in terms of volume. During multiple yearly seafood processing seasons, the total population may swell to more than 8,000 due to an influx of workers hired to support the seafood processors. Daily water system demand can grow to as much as eight (8) million gallons a day to support that population influx and seafood processing operations.

Rentricity’s Flow-to-Wire system (F2W) captures excess pressure within water distribution pipelines, converting it into clean energy for an electric grid or a customer's onsite use. The dualF2W systems installed in Unalaska’s Pyramid Water Treatment Plant includes two Rentricity safety-certified Cornell pump-as-turbines (PATs) which generate 75 and 125 kilowatts respectively. The systems, designed to handle a wide range of flow and pressures will completely offset the electricity needs of plant, with excess power going to the City’s electric grid. In everyday terms, the clean power would generate enough energy for over 1000 homes or 7,500 LED electric bulbs.

In addition to Rentricity’s safety-certified Flow-to-Wire systems, Unalaska uses Rentricity’s Sustainable Energy Management System (SEMS) which provides power integration, monitoring and control. “Rentricity is proud to have completed this third installation in the State of Alaska assisting Unalaska’s team with design, the logistical demands of shipping equipment to the Aleutians and start-up support.” said Al Spinell, Rentricity’s COO. He added, “Unalaska’s water treatment facility is one of the best we have seen, deploying stainless steel piping exemplifying its pristine operation!” Rentricity also partnered with Taku Engineering of Anchorage on the mechanical design and assisting with local construction and installation. The Rentricity Flow-toWire systems act like pumps, simply operating in reverse with a generator instead of a motor and have long operating life, up to 50 years with minimal maintenance.

“This initiative underscores Unalaska's dedication to innovation and environmental stewardship” says William Homka, Unalaska’s City Manager. Mr. Homka went on to say “The project showcases our determination to embrace renewable energy solutions that benefit both our community and the planet. We believe that by investing in projects like the Rentricity in-conduit hydropower system, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable infrastructure that will serve our residents for generations to come."

Partnered with the Cornell Pump Company, Rentricity has safety-certified 22 PAT’s to meet the certification requirements for the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), the good housekeeping seal of approval for the water industry. Only the Rentricity certified turbines will display WQA’s Gold Seal Logo to indicate compliance to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 & 372 standards, which are required by 45 U.S. state regulators for city drinking water and industrial food and beverage applications: Flow-to-Wire WQA Certification Listing .

Rentricity continues to navigate the transition towards a greener, more sustainable future establishing its in-conduit hydropower solutions as a beacon of innovation, offering water operators a viable pathway to enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and pave the way for the adoption of new transformative technologies.

About Rentricity Inc.
Commercial since 2012, Rentricity Inc. is the nation’s leader in producing clean, renewable energy from in-conduit hydropower applications in drinking, agricultural irrigation and industrial water systems. For more information, visit www.rentricity.com.

About Unalaska
The City of Unalaska is the main population center in the Aleutian Islands. The population was 4,093 as of year-end 2023, which is ~ 81% of the entire Aleutians West Census Area. For more information, visit https://www.ci.unalaska.ak.us/.