Carbon-Pros Analyst BlogIn-Stream Tidal Power
Compared with the renewable power potential of wind and solar, tidal and wave power is much less discussed. In parts of the seacoast with narrow channels and strong currents, tidal power has great potential. On open shorelines with major ocean swell, wave power has great potential. These marine technologies don't often make headlines because they are a decade behind wind and solar in basic research and pilot testing. But we are seeing some progress.
Nova Scotia Power and its technology partner OpenHydro recently unveiled a 1-MW tidal turbine. It will be deployed in the Bay of Fundy this fall as part of Nova Scotia’s tidal power test facility. The Open-Centre Turbine was manufactured in Ireland by OpenHydro. The turbine will rest directly on the ocean floor using a subsea gravity base fabricated in Dartmouth by Cherubini Metal Works.
The 33-foot turbine will be deployed in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy. Testing will last up to two years. Operational data will be collected and shared by Nova Scotia Power and OpenHydro to determine the environmental performance and future feasibility of tidal power in the Bay of Fundy. The testing will focus on the robustness of the turbine in the harsh environment of the Bay of Fundy, close monitoring of the environmental impacts of the turbine, and its energy production capabilities.
The Bay of Fundy sits on the northeast Atlantic coast of North America between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine. It is significant for having one of the highest vertical tidal ranges in the world. This project is a big step forward from previous projects and proposals which mainly involve building a dam to hold back part of the bay and extracting power from water flowing through the sluice gates (similar to conventional hydro). Dams can severely disrupt the marine ecosystem, trapping fish and marine mammals. The OpenHydo project, by contrast will sit directly on the seabed floor. If the project reduces interference with the marine ecosystem, and it holds up in the icy currents of Fundy, it could move tidal power technology from the pilot stage into broader production.