“Exciting times here at Peregrine (Turbine Technologies). Wiscasset is birthing new technology,” Chief Executive Officer David Stapp told Wiscasset Newspaper via email July 22. He shared a press release on a new project and answered the questions he said he could so far.

The project, a pilot for storing renewable energy, mates Peregrine’s energy conversion system with storage technology from MGA Thermal of Merewether, Australia, according to the release; the firms are working with Cianbro Corporation to field the system at Cianbro’s solar site in Pittsfield by the end of 2022.

Stapp said the Pittsfield project’s financing and permitting “are in discussion currently and I am not at liberty to disclose that just yet.”

He said the technology is being developed in Wiscasset and will first be tested in Peregrine’s lab at Wiscasset Municipal Airport. “The Pittsfield site is intended to be a pilot that will be replicated globally. There is tremendous commercial pull on this technology given the monstrous demand for power storage technology that enables greater deployment of solar and wind power generation and ... the use of that power at any time, night or day.

“The expected large demand will drive (science, technology, engineering and math) STEM job creation here in Wiscasset, where our engineering operation will be ... for the foreseeable future,” Stapp told Wiscasset Newspaper. He said he has approached Wiscasset’s selectboard about Peregrine getting more, town-owned land that abuts Peregrine’s Birch Point property. The added land would be to develop a research and development park, he explained.

Also in an email response July 22, Town Manager Dennis Simmons said Stapp told selectmen last May of his interest in getting some of the abutting land for a technology center. “At this point no firm offer has been tendered, though I certainly welcome the opportunity to negotiate with Peregrine and place some of that land back onto the tax rolls. Additionally, we certainly would welcome the STEM and other jobs this facility would provide.”

Peregrine has two buildings at Birch Point; one with offices, the other “as an overflow for future expected hires,” Stapp said. Peregrine is assembling and testing the technology at the lab. “We have a plan for large scale manufacturing that is currently not disclosed publicly. In the meantime, we have been in discussions with the town manager and the airport manager to build an additional hangar adjacent to our ... lab for interim, smaller-scale initial production of the units.”.

MGA Thermal’s Erich Kisi states in Peregrine’s press release, the system to be piloted in Pittsfield “will be a game changer for solar and wind energy generators wanting to control their power dispatch,” and the firm is excited to work with Peregrine on it.

“Cianbro (is) excited about the opportunity to support such a technical advancement in renewable energy storage.” Cianbro Chairman Peter Vogue states in the release.