Natel Energy has been selected to conduct a design feasibility study for retrofitting existing hydroelectric turbines at the St. Lawrence–Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) Power Project with its FishSafe™ Restoration Hydropower Turbine (RHT) technology. The study is funded by the Fish Enhancement, Mitigation and Research Fund (FEMRF) and overseen by the FEMRF Fisheries Advisory Committee. The fund is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The goal of the study is to assess whether Natel’s turbine design can improve downstream fish passage survival at the project site, which is located on the US side of the Robert Moses–Robert H. Saunders Power Dam on the St. Lawrence River. The dam currently produces over 900 MW of electricity.

American eel populations, once abundant in the region, have declined significantly. These eels must migrate downstream as large adults to reach the ocean. Current testing at the site has shown a 26% mortality rate for eels passing through turbines. NYPA, the project operator, has previously installed an upstream eel passage facility in 2007 and continues to support eel conservation efforts.

Natel’s FishSafe™ turbines have demonstrated 98-100% survival rates for various fish species, including American eel. The feasibility study will explore whether redesigned turbine runners can be installed in the existing infrastructure to improve survival rates while maintaining energy production and mechanical reliability. Other species expected to benefit from improved turbine passage include lake sturgeon, mooneye, walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge.

“We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to undertake a feasibility study to design RHT runners for the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project,” said Natel co-founder and CTO, Abe Schneider. “We are confident that we can create designs that are both highly efficient and enable exceptional fish survival. We are particularly motivated by the positive impact FishSafe™ turbines could have for the American eel species.”

Improved downstream survival of large, egg-bearing female eels is seen as a potential boost to the broader recovery of the species across its range. Enhancing their safe passage to the Atlantic Ocean could increase juvenile eel populations throughout North America.

Natel Energy is expected to deliver a draft feasibility report to the New York Power Authority and the Fisheries Advisory Committee by December 2025.