Canada awards C$30 million for 9MW tidal energy scheme

Illustration/The SR2000 floating tidal power technology being advanced by FloTEC scheme (Photo: Scotrenewables Tidal Power)

 
The government of Canada has allocated C$29.8 million to DP Energy company Halagonia Tidal Energy to develop a nine-megawatt tidal power project in Nova Scotia that will combine both floating and submerged turbine technology.

The C$117 million project – set to demonstrate the capabilities for extracting energy in both shallow and deep water – will incorporate five Mk1 Andritz Hydro 1.5 MW sea-bed mounted tidal turbines, and a single SR2-2000 floating turbine by Scotrenewables Tidal Power.

Illustration/The SR2000 floating tidal power technology being advanced by FloTEC scheme (Photo: Scotrenewables Tidal Power)

At 9MW deployed at two berths at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) facility in the Bay of Fundy under a single project, the scheme will create around 120 jobs, and generate enough renewable energy to power more than 2,500 homes, according to the government of Canada.

The project – said to be the largest tidal stream array to be deployed in the world – also benefits from a 15-year government Feed-In Tariff (FIT) at a rate of $530/MWh, with the current program seeing the turbines deployed at the FORCE site by the end of 2020.

Simon De Pietro, Director of DP Energy companies, said: “Tidal energy can make a significant contribution to Canada and our world’s need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and has the potential to do so in a cost-competitive way along with the more mature renewable technologies of wind and solar.

“This investment and the support of both the Government of Canada and Province of Nova Scotia are welcomed and will help both deliver the technology in a challenging environment and support the development of a new industry as we make the essential transition to a low-carbon world.”

“This investment will support a low-carbon future while encouraging businesses to innovate, grow and create well-paying, long-term jobs for Canadians in an emerging sector. We have taken an approach that will grow our economy and protect the environment, all while encouraging growth in the marine renewable energy sector.”

Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, said: “This investment will support a low-carbon future while encouraging businesses to innovate, grow and create well-paying, long-term jobs for Canadians in an emerging sector. We have taken an approach that will grow our economy and protect the environment, all while encouraging growth in the marine renewable energy sector.”

DP Energy has been working closely with both turbine suppliers for the past two years, during which time turbines from both manufacturers have been successfully deployed in real sea environments in Scotland.

In the case of Andritz, the three Mk1 turbines installed at the MeyGen project have produced a cumulative output of more than 8GWh since their deployment in late 2016, while the SR1-2000 prototype deployed by Scotrenewables at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney produced more than 3GWh since October 2017.

The funding, announced at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Working Together on Climate Change, Oceans and Clean Energy in Halifax, is part of Natural Resources Canada’s Emerging Renewable Power Program (ERPP) plan for promoting clean growth and fighting climate change.