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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012
Now deployed, the turbine will
be monitored by NS Power and
OpenHydro to ensure that it can
both withstand the punishing
conditions of the Bay of Fundy
and operate in harmony with its
surrounding environment. The
turbine is currently sitting on
the ocean f loor, invisible from
the ocean’s surface. Even at low
tide, the turbine cannot be seen.
In the future, two additional
turbines will be deployed in the
Bay of Fundy by Clean Current
from British Columbia and Minas
Basin Pulp and Power of Hants
East. These companies, along
with NS Power, are all members
of the Fundy Ocean Research
Centre for Energy (FORCE) which
is in the process of constructing
a station that will allow the
turbines to be connected to the
electrical grid. The station will
also include a research labora-
tory to examine the data collected
from the test turbines in the hope
of determining how best to
harness energy from the Bay of
Fundy in the future
**Care of http://www.nspower.
ca
N
OVA SCOT I A POWER
has
partnered with Irish f irm
OpenHydro to explore a new
source of tidal energy for Nova
Scotia. As part of a test project
that will help to determine the
feasibility of harnessing tidal
energy on a commercial scale,
NS Power has deployed a 10-
metre, 1MW in-stream tidal tur-
bine in the Minas Passage of the
Bay of Fundy – home to the
world’s most powerful tides.
NS Power chose OpenHydro’s
design because it is simple and
robust – ideal for the punishing
conditions of the Bay of Fundy.
Designed to generate electricity
in a manner that is both reliable
and predictable, the turbine
operates each day with the f low
of the tides: it spins in one
direction at high tide and
reverses as the tides f low back
out to sea. This form of
generation is more predictable
than other forms of renewable
energy like wind power, where it
can be diff icult to predict when
turbines will operate at maxi-
mum capacity.
The turbine is self-lubricating
and operates without oils, grease
and other f luids which could
impact the sensitive marine
environment. The turbine’s open-
centre design allows sea life to
freely pass through the device, a
feature that should ensure
minimal impact on its surround-
ing environment.
BAY OF FUNDY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ATLANTIC CANADA