The New Tech Powering 200 N.S. Homes With Tidal Energy
HALIFAX–A huge milestone in alternative energy has been reached in Nova Scotia. UK company Sustainable Marine Emergy Canada has delivered the first floating tidal power to Nova Scotia’s grid.
According to Sustainable Marine CEO Jason Hayman, the tidal power is delivering more than 200 kWs into the grid–enough for 200 homes. Since this is still the experimental phase for the floating system, it’s restricted to running during daylight hours. However, Hayman expects the system to be running 24/7 in a matter of weeks.
Hayman said he can’t recall the exact moment they achieved first power into the grid, other than it was late in the first week of May.
The power is coming from Grand Passage in the Bay of Fundy. For years, scientists have been studying ways to harness the unique tidal power in the bay. A nonprofit group FORCE has been set up to achieve this goal.
According to a release from Sustainable Marine, the Bay of Fundy “contains more than four times the combined flow of every freshwater river in the world [and] can be effectively harnessed providing up to 2500MW of clean and predictable energy for Canada.”
Sustainable Marine has been in the Bay of Fundy since 2018 but has been working on tidal technology for a decade. More than $31.5-million has been invested to get to this moment.
Now, Sustainable Marine has to monitor the results to show this new technology can work “repeatedly and reliably.” They also have to show people that the turbines won’t cause damage to marine life.
“We’ve got to prove that this is an ultra-low environmental impact technology,” said Hayman. “And we’ve got to get people comfortable…people are always a little fearful of the unknown.”
“But, of course, the experience with all of it is quite limited.”
Grand Passage is just the tip of Fundy’s potential for tidal electricity. As powerful as Grand Passage is, it’s nothing compared to the Minas Passage, which Hayman calls the “Everest” of the tidal power world.
“There’s an amazing, awesome resource in the Minas Passage, which is capable of displacing a couple Nuclear Power Stations,” claims Hayman. “More water flows through the Minas Passage than all the rivers on the earth combined on a daily basis.”
“That is considered to be the Everest of tidal energy: immense resource and immense power. Just like mountaineering, you don’t want to go and climb Everest as your first outing.”
Given the tidal potential surrounding the coast of Nova Scotia, it’s theoretically possible to power the entire province with the renewable resource. Hayman says his goal is to help Nova Scotia achieve its target of eliminating coal power by 2030.
“We’ll be getting on with putting more systems in and getting Nova Scotia off its coal habit.”
“We need to use local sources of renewable energy whenever possible to ensure we’re not buying fossil fuels off people who are using the funds to do nefarious things.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].