Inyanga Marine Energy steps into Canada with new subsidiary

UK-based Inyanga Marine Energy Group has expanded its international presence with the launch of a Canadian subsidiary, Inyanga Maritime Services Nova Scotia, headquartered in Halifax.

According to Inyanga Marine Energy, this move positions the company to advance Nova Scotia’s tidal energy and offshore wind sectors.

The Canadian division, led by Vice President Kiley Sampson, will build a local team to offer marine engineering and offshore operations expertise, Inyanga Marine Energy said. The company aims to support the development of renewable energy infrastructure in the Bay of Fundy and beyond.

“Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy has been identified by the California-based Electric Power Research Institute as one of the best potential sites in North America for tidal power generation,” said Richard Parkinson, CEO of Inyanga Marine Energy Group.

“Our ambition is to unlock the full potential of the Bay of Fundy and provide low cost, reliable renewable energy to Canada.” 

According to Inyanga Marine Energy, the Bay of Fundy, where roughly 160 billion tonnes of water flow twice a day, holds a tidal energy potential exceeding 2,500 MW, driven by tides carrying over four times the combined flow of the world’s freshwater rivers.  Tides moving from the outer Bay into the smaller Minas Basin can reach peak surface speeds of five to six meters per second, and rise to 17 meters vertically.

Alongside tidal resources, Nova Scotia’s offshore wind capacity is also drawing attention, the company added. A recent government report identified eight potential development areas spanning 31,200 square kilometers, with wind speeds between 9 and 11 m/sec.

“We plan to develop a consortium including local Canadian partners to develop, fund, and deploy tidal energy capacity in the Bay of Fundy, using the HydroWing tidal energy technology. The potential for tidal energy and fixed and floating offshore wind in Nova Scotia is immense and we are poised to seize the opportunity and make it happen,” Sampson noted.

Inyanga Marine Energy Group has also unveiled the Tocardo T1 turbine on permanent display at the entrance of M-SParc, Wales’ first dedicated Science Park in Gaerwen, Anglesey.

The company opened its Wales office at M-SParc earlier this year to support the 20 MW Morlais tidal energy project, backed by the UK Government’s ‘Contracts for Difference’ scheme. 

M-SParc’s Managing Director, Pryderi ap Rhisiart, said: “The Tocardo T1 turbine symbolises the spirit of innovation through the development of technology. It is an exciting and fitting addition to M-SParc, and we expect that its story will inspire others.”

In October, Inyanga Marine Energy took control of the D10 tidal turbine, the first grid-connected tidal turbine in France, securing permission to operate the facility in the Fromveur Passage, off the coast of Brittany, until August 2028. 

A bit later the same month, Inyanga Marine Energy launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the expansion of its patented tidal energy technology, HydroWing, after landing $53 million in major tidal energy projects.