Nova Scotia to create test centre for tidal power

Nova Scotia to create test centre for tidal power
Globe and Mail, 08-Jan-2008

N.S. to harness Fundy tide power
The Chronicle Herald, 08-Jan-2008

Parrsboro mayor hopes to turn tide
Tom McCoag, Chronicle Herald, 08-Jan-2008

PARRSBORO, N.S. — Nova Scotia is creating a centre to test tidal power projects in the Bay of Fundy.

Premier Rodney MacDonald announced $4.7-million in provincial government funding Tuesday, along with a $3-million interest-free loan from EnCana, to set up the centre.

“This facility can become a landmark centre of excellence in our efforts to provide cleaner sources of energy,” MacDonald said.

“The more we move away from coal-based electricity, the more we protect our environment — a key priority for this government.”

Three companies will put test turbines on the floor of the bay, spending between $10-million and $15-million each on their projects.

Nova Scotia Power is teaming up with Ireland's Open Hydro on its turbine project, while Minas Basin Pulp and Power Co. is joining with UEK Hydrokinetic. The third company to test in the area is Clean Current of British Columbia.

The companies hope to have test turbines in the water by early 2009 and will supply power to the province's electricity grid once the projects are in operation.

Mr. MacDonald made Tuesday's announcement in Parrsboro on the Bay of Fundy and has said he believes tidal power can supply about 15 per cent of Nova Scotia's electricity needs.

Gerry Protti, president of EnCana Corp.'s offshore and international division, said the company thinks tidal power is “a promising and untapped energy resource here in Nova Scotia.

“Unlocking the unconventional power of the tides requires innovative thinking and the kind of creative partnerships that will be generated at this centre.”

Nova Scotia hopes to harness the power of
the Bay of Fundy tides to provide cleaner power
for the province. (LEN WAGG/Staff/File)

PARRSBORO — Nova Scotia is creating a centre to test tidal power projects in the Bay of Fundy.

Premier Rodney MacDonald announced $4.7 million in provincial government funding Tuesday, along with a $3-million interest-free loan from EnCana, to set up the centre.

``This facility can become a landmark centre of excellence in our efforts to provide cleaner sources of energy,'' MacDonald said.

``The more we move away from coal-based electricity, the more we protect our environment — a key priority for this government.''

Three companies will put test turbines on the floor of the bay, spending between $10 million and $15 million each on their projects.

Nova Scotia Power is teaming up with Ireland's Open Hydro on its turbine project, while Minas Basin Pulp and Power Co. is joining with UEK Hydrokinetic. The third company to test in the area is Clean Current of British Columbia.

The companies hope to have test turbines in the water by early 2009 and will supply power to the province's electricity grid once the projects are in operation.

MacDonald made Tuesday's announcement in Parrsboro on the Bay of Fundy and has said he believes tidal power can supply about 15 per cent of Nova Scotia's electricity needs.

Gerry Protti, president of EnCana Corp.'s offshore and international division, said the company thinks tidal power is ``a promising and untapped energy resource here in Nova Scotia.

``Unlocking the unconventional power of the tides requires innovative thinking and the kind of creative partnerships that will be generated at this centre

By TOM McCOAG
Amherst Bureau
Chronicle Herald
Tue. Jan 8

PARRSBORO — Mayor Doug Robinson hopes Premier Rodney MacDonald will be in Parrsboro today to announce that the Cape Sharp area has been selected as the site for a trial tidal power project.

"What I’m hearing is that the premier and (Energy Minister Richard) Hurlburt won’t be here to announce which company will be doing the project but that they will be announcing the project site," the mayor said Monday.

"Since they’re holding the meeting, I’m assuming and hoping they’ll be telling us that the site we’ve been supporting for about two years, which is just off Cape Sharp, has been selected."

Cape Sharp is a spit of land that juts out into the Minas Channel 10 to 20 kilometres west of Parrsboro opposite Cape Split at the narrowest part of the Bay of Fundy.

"I certainly hope it is being located at Cape Sharp because having it there would mean more activity for our harbour," the mayor said.

"The town could also benefit because the location for where the electricity comes ashore could be built here, as well as buildings required to support the operation of the project."

The president of the Heavy Current Fishing Association of Halls Harbour, which represents about 30 fishermen, wasn’t quite as enthused.

"Cape Sharp is a very important fishing area for us," Mark Taylor said. "I’ve fished lobster there for 30 years. It’s an important migratory route for them as well. We just don’t know what impact having these (tidal energy) machines in the water will have on that fishery.

"If it is there, we will lose some important fishing area that can’t be replaced unless you moved in on someone else’s territory, which wouldn’t be a good idea."

Mr. Taylor’s association has had three of six promised meetings with proponents of the project, which he said include the province and Nova Scotia Power. But many questions still have to be answered, he said.

"We’d like to see the science for it. We’d like to know what impact it will have on the migration of lobster. We’d even like to know how close we can set our pots to these machines. Until they can answer questions like those, we really don’t know what we could lose."

Mr. Taylor admitted the answers may not be known until the test site is built. But if the tests prove the project is viable, then "200 machines in that area could mean that fishery is lost to us," he said. "And if it isn’t viable, we wonder if they will be required to clean up the site so that it remains a good spot to fish."

An American group, the Electric Power Research Institute, has indicated that the Bay of Fundy in the Cape Split area has the potential to be the best site in North America for large-scale, grid-connected tidal energy generation.

Last year, the province called for a pilot tidal power project for the Bay of Fundy, and in November the government shortlisted seven bidders. They include Maritime Tidal Energy Corp. of Halifax and partner Marine Current Turbines of Britain, Arnold Systems LLC of New York, Clean Current Power Systems Inc. of Vancouver, Lucid Energy Technologies of Indiana and Nova Tidal Power Inc. of Tatamagouche.

Minas Basin Pulp and Power Co. of Hantsport and Nova Scotia Power, owned by Emera Inc., have submitted bids to build a tidal energy test facility, a part of the project that includes designing and operating a structure to collect electricity from the turbines and processing scientific data.

No device is expected to go into the bay before next year.

(tmccoag@herald.ca)