Engineers hope to use Bay of Fundy to power the Maritimes

Monday, May 30, 2016, 6:15 PM - Engineers are working to harness the power of the Bay of Fundy to create sustainable energy, according to a recent report by the Canadian Press (CP).

Currently, there are a few organizations working in the area.

In an interview with CP, Matt Lumley of the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) says the area is full of potential.

"The coastline pinches in to about five kilometres across and the water speeds up, and you've got about 14 billion tonnes of water moving over five metres a second," he said. With the right technology, that's more than enough to generate enough power for all of Atlantic Canada.

So far, field studies have been promising. Initial estimates pegged output at 300 megawatts, but "once we actually got into the bay and started to collect some field data...that number went up significantly to about 7,000 megawatts of power," he told CP.

"That is equivalent roughly to all of the needs of Atlantic Canada or about three million homes."

Cape Sharp Tidal is another one of the companies in the area.

They're in the process of creating two turbines that will harness renewable energy along the Bay of Fundy as tides come in and back out twice a day. Engineers took special care to create a design that can withstand Fundy's powerful tides. Once in place, the turbines are expected to provide electricity for nearly 1,000 homes.

Installation is scheduled to begin in June.

Then there's Black Rock Tidal Power Inc., which is readying to install its TRITION S40, technology that uses 40 small turbines to generate renewable power.

Most of the development is currently happening on the Nova Scotia side, but New Brunswick minister of economic development is hoping to bring industry over to his province as well.

SOME OPPOSITION

Not everyone is completely on-board with sustainable environment in the area.

According to CP, some fishermen want assurances the technology won't impact marine life and that they won't be forced to abandon established fishing grounds.

"We've never been consulted on this," Chris Hudson, president of the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen's Association, told the publication.

Lumley says FORCE is conducting studies to ensure the ecosystem remains unharmed.

Hudson's association has launched a petition and is raising funds to cover legal costs if development continues.

Source: The Canadian Press