Tidal energy vessel deployed in British Columbia

 
Water Wall Turbine (WWT) has deployed its floating tidal turbine plant to Dent Island Lodge in British Columbia, Canada.

The anchored floating structure has a large turbine that rotates at slow speed and could provide up to 1MW of tidal energy power, according to WWT.

The shaft of the wheel is connected to a gearbox that turns a generator and produces electricity.

It was deployed by tug on June 11 to Dent Island Lodge where it will be connected to WWT’s microgrid system and its energy storage equipment.

Over the summer, it is expected that the submarine cable will be laid and commissioning of the entire system will be completed, according to the Natural Resources Canada.

Marek Sredzki, WWT CEO, said: “This first full scale tidal energy system when commissioned, will be unique to the West Coast and will be the catalyst for further orders both here in Canada and internationally.”

Natural Resources Canada, through its Clean Energy Fund, provided C$2.25 million ($1.74 million) to the project which included the development and demonstration of the cost effective technology for tidal and river stream resources, as well as the development of a microgrid management system with advanced energy storage for remote and distributed generation.

Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, said: “Made-in-Canada technologies like Water Wall Turbine Inc. play an increasingly important role in Canada’s economic growth as we support the global transition to a low-carbon economy over time. Government and private sector investments in clean energy and technology help us meet our climate change objectives and support well-paying jobs across the country.”

Commenting on the arrival of the turbine to Dent Island, Lodge General Manager, Justin Farr said: “The arrival of the floating tidal turbine is great news for the Lodge, not only because of the potential cost savings over diesel, but also as a showcase for green energy in this pristine environment.”

The technology is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas by producing renewable energy from the vast tidal and river resources available across the country as well as help put Canada in a leadership position in remote energy generation for a waiting global market.

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