One of the giant turbines destined for the Bay of Fundy will be hauled by barge to Halifax for final preparations in the coming days, however, exactly when it will be installed is still unknown.
In a statement, Sarah Dawson of Cape Sharp Tidal said the plan to install two 1,000-tonne turbines in the Minas Passage remains on hold indefinitely after getting the go-ahead from Nova Scotia's environment minister.
The turbine will be moved to Halifax for ballasting work and final inspections, she said. The operation will create more room at the shipyard in Pictou, N.S., to finish assembling the second turbine.
The Bay of Fundy, known for its immense tidal range, is being called the Mount Everest of tidal power.
Port of Saint John CEO Jim Quinn made the comparison on Monday at New Brunswick’s first Tidal Power Summit being held in Saint John.
Recently, a lot of tidal power focus has been on Nova Scotia, but officials say more needs to be done on the New Brunswick side of the bay.
“Maybe we’re a little bit down the road before we’ll see actual tidal generation taking place in the Bay of Fundy, but we’ve got an opportunity right here on our doorstep to do some of the work to support it,” Natural Resources Minister Rick Doucet said.
YARMOUTH -- The head of Nova Scotia Power says he is confident that tidal energy developers will be able to address concerns raised by the fishing industry.
Speaking to the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, Bob Hanf, Nova Scotia Power’s president and CEO, said the energy potential of the Bay of Fundy could make it a “game-changing resource.”
He acknowledged too the importance of the fisheries, “so it’s important that all stakeholders have the opportunity to be fully consulted and heard, which is why Emera (which owns Nova Scotia Power) has slowed things down a bit to have conversations with fishermen.”
Already, in the early days of tidal energy development, Nova Scotia is recognized as a leader — not just within Canada, but globally.
We have the best tidal energy resource and supportive policies that have attracted investment and world-leading developers. We have decades of experience and expertise from the offshore and ocean technology sectors that can be adapted and transferred to tidal energy.
But Nova Scotia is not the only place with these favourable conditions. The United Kingdom, France, Ireland, the United States, Chile and a dozen more countries have been pursuing tidal and wave energy, with a focus on not only developing clean electricity but also capturing the economic benefits a new industry like this will create.
