The federal government is funding a new tidal energy project in Nova Scotia that will be set up along the Digby Neck.
Nova Innovation has been awarded $4 million to build tidal energy turbines that will harness the tidal flows of the Bay of Fundy.
The Company which is based in the UK designs builds and operates tidal energy devices and develops sites for tidal energy projects.
They hope to install 15 turbines along the seabed by 2021 and have them operational by year-end as well.
One of the large concerns with tidal energy in the Fundy is that the tides are much stronger than most parts of the world but Nova says the turbines can withstand the Fundy tide and operate without endangering marine life and they believe their three turbines in the Shetland Islands which have operated without incident since 2016 are a testament to that.
Simon Forest, Nova’s Cheif Executive said At five times the size of our project in Shetland, which is the first of its kind in the world, this project is a massive step forward for Nova Innovation and the sector. It is testimony to the quality of our team in Canada; the relationships we have built with communities, supply chain and government and the hard work put in by all, that this project will now become a reality.
Making the funding announcement was Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan who 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. There are brilliant teams across this country who are working toward this vision, and our government wants to be a partner in their efforts. So today, we’re proud to invest in innovative projects that share a single goal: to build a thriving tidal power industry across Canada.”
The company was awarded a five-year permit to operate which is renewable if the company meets performance standards, environmental requirements and community engagement conditions.
