The Government of Canada is investing in C$28.5m ($21.8m) in Sustainable Marine in Nova Scotia, to deliver the country’s first floating tidal energy generators.
The investment was announced by Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan.
Sustainable Marine has developed a new floating tidal energy platform called PLAT-I that was rigorously tested in the waters of Grand Passage for about two years.
Seamus O’Regan said: “We are harnessing the power of our tides to power our homes, our businesses and our communities. This is how we build our clean energy future.”
Sustainable Marine’s second platform, which is being assembled presently in Meteghan, Nova Scotia, will be launched in Grand Passage later this year for testing.
It will later be relocated to the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) next year. Together, the platforms will make up the array of tidal energy generators.
The 9MW tidal energy array can offset 17,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions
The aim of the project is to provide up to 9MW of clean, renewable electricity to Nova Scotia’s grid, which is expected to reduce up to 17,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, while creating jobs in the province.
The project has been initiated to demonstrate the ability to harness tides as a reliable source of renewable power generation.
Sustainable Marine CEO Jason Hayman said: “Nova Scotia has one of the best natural resources in the world for tidal energy and provides the infrastructure and support for companies looking to grow their business. Having a demonstration site such as FORCE enables us to accelerate the commercialization of our technology.
“This investment will not only advance our tidal energy technology but also provide a source of clean renewable energy that has a positive impact on rural coastal communities and the environment.”
Funding for the Sustainable Marine’s project comes is provided from Natural Resources Canada’s Emerging Renewables Power Program, which is part of the country’s C$180bn ($138.1m) Investing in Canada.
