Canada boosts tidal power sector with $9.4 million

Canada is investing $9.4 million in four tidal energy projects that will bring clean energy technologies to the Atlantic region.

The announcement took place following a tour of the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy’s facilities in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.

Nova Innovation has secured $4 million to build a tidal turbine array using subsea tidal technology in Petit Passage in the Bay of Fundy.

$1.58 million will go to the University of Manitoba, in partnership with SOAR – Sustainable Oceans Applied Research, to advance research on river hydrokinetic and in-stream tidal energy technologies in the Canadian context.

Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia will get a $2-million boost to research an environmental effects monitoring solution for the instream tidal energy industry in Canada, including fish and marine mammal interactions with tidal devices.

Finally, $2 million will go to Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy to outline a plan to assess the encounter risk for fish with tidal devices and create a tool to support the regulatory authorization process for tidal energy projects.

The tidal energy risk assessment program involves participation from multiple partners, including Acadia University, Marine Renewables Canada, Mi’kmaw Conservation Group, Ocean Tracking Network at Dalhousie University and Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy.

Specifically, the first project was funded through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Energy Innovation Program.

The second project got funding through $155-million NRCan’s Clean Growth Program.

The Clean Growth Program also provided support to the University of Manitoba for the capacity to collaborate with CanmetENERGY Ottawa on the optimization of river turbine arrays through numerical analysis and the identification of potential hydrokinetic resources in northern Canada through the use of radar satellite image processing.

Funding for the remaining projects comes from a $200-million NRCan’s Emerging Renewables Power Program.

“Investing in new kinds of energy production, like tidal energy, creates jobs in Nova Scotia and across Canada. Investing in tidal energy helps get us to zero emissions by 2050.”

Bernadette Jordan, Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, also said:

“With the longest coastline in the world, Canada should be a global leader in tidal energy.

“This renewable energy source has the potential to substantially grow our blue economy in the long term, but we need to invest now.”