Breakthrough hydropower technology doesn't require dam or reservoir


Substation Relay Protection Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
California-based research and development company Bourne Energy has developed a novel hydropower technology that does not require a dam or reservoir to produce power.

The RiverStar river power system is a 20-foot long self-contained energy module composed of a stabilizer, energy absorber, energy transmission and mooring system and energy conversion and control system designed to be sited in-river in long arrays. The concept behind the RiverStar is to harvest hydropower along the entire length of a river instead of harnessing energy in one massive site using a dam and reservoir.

The system can be applied to each river's environment, culture and commercial activities as seamlessly and invisibly as possible thus opening up vast untapped amounts of hydropower worldwide. RiverStar does not stop or slow natural processes such as fish migration, sedimentation and biological processes, nor does it  prevent other commercial and/or private river traffic.

Bourne plans to build a series of prototypes leading to full-scale demonstrators to promote its utility scale hydropower power systems worldwide.

Hydropower is currently the world's major renewable energy, producing 24% of global electricity. It is also the least expensive energy, having an average cost of 2-5 cents/kWh. But only 4% of the world's gross hydropower potential has as of yet been developed.

Related News

Canadian Scientists say power utilities need to adapt to climate change

Canada Power Grid Climate Resilience integrates extreme weather planning, microgrids, battery storage, renewable energy, vegetation…
View more

China's Path to Carbon Neutrality

China Unified Power Market enables carbon neutrality through renewable integration, cross-provincial electricity trading, smart grid…
View more

London's Newest Electricity Tunnel Goes Live

London Electricity Tunnel strengthens grid modernization with high-voltage cabling from major substations, increasing redundancy, efficiency,…
View more

Senate Committee Advised by WIRES Counsel That Electric Transmission Still Faces Barriers to Development

U.S. Transmission Grid Modernization underscores FERC policy certainty, high-voltage infrastructure upgrades, renewables integration, electrification, and…
View more

Zapping elderly brains with electricity improves short-term memory — for almost an hour

Transcranial electrical stimulation synchronizes brain waves to bolster working memory, aligning neural oscillations across the…
View more

Spain's power demand in April plummets under COVID-19 lockdown

Spain Electricity Demand April 2020 saw a 17.3% year-on-year drop as COVID-19 lockdown curbed activity;…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified