Tocardo enters on floating turbine project in tidal-power 'holy grail' of Bay of Fundy, Canada
Dutch producer of tidal and river turbines Tocardo will deploy four 250kW-rated T2 bi-directional turbines in the Minas Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada, in late 2017.
The turbines will be attached to Tocardo’s patented semi-submersible Universal floating platform structure to form a 1MW system held in place by catenary mooring systems.
Minas Tidal, a partnership including Tocardo and two Canadian renewable energy actors Minas Energy and International Marine Energy Inc (IME), intends to test the tidal turbine technology (see artist's impression above) at the Fundy ocean resource centre for energy (Force) in the Minas Passage.
The Minas passage has the highest and strongest tides in the world and is considered by Tocardo's CEO Hans van Breugel as 'the holy grail' for tidal energy.
According to Tocardo's CEO Hans van Breugel his company is ready for the highest and strongest tides in the world.
Centre of future operations
“We are looking forward to demonstrating Tocardo’s capabilities in North America and hope to make Nova Scotia the centre of our future manufacturing operations” said Tocardo president Hans Van Breugel.
“Minas Tidal presents a unique opportunity for our groups to work together, combining our respective expertise to build a Nova Scotian project development team, which will allow us to contribute to the development of Nova Scotia’s considerable tidal energy potential” said Jane Lowrie, Chief Financial Officer of IME.
Local supply chain companies
Minas Tidal has commenced discussions with local supply chain companies including fabricators, marine contractors, system integrators, engineers and scientists early this fall.
The partnership will also undertake comprehensive stakeholder consultation with First Nations, the fisheries industry, regulators, and communities and complete all regulatory requirements prior to testing.
Highest high tides in Bay of Fundy, Canada
Respected international players
“The renewable energy potential in the Bay of Fundy tides is attracting world-wide attention and respected international players like Tocardo and IME,” said Michel Samson, Canadian minister of energy.
“The involvement of companies of this calibre, and the ability to test the different technologies they bring to the table here, will help Nova Scotia become a global leader in tidal energy and continue to build our economy.”
Minas Energy’s leasehold rights to the berth site at FORCE, along with a 4 megawatt power purchase agreement (awarded in December 2014) will be transferred to Minas Tidal, the new Nova Scotia-based development entity.
In-water testing is anticipated in late 2017.
This news item was originally published on the website of Tocardo.
Read also on this website
● Tidal power plant in Dutch Eastern Scheldt surge barrier put into service, 27 November 2015
● BlueTec names world’s first all-in-one floating tidal energy platform, 10 April 2015
● Dutch tidal testing centre hits water with array of Tocardo turbines in Afsluitdijk, the Netherlands, 23 February 2015
More information
Tocardo
Den Oever, the Netherlands
+31 227 726 20
www.tocardo.com
Report by Global News with Tocardo's CEO Hans Van Breugel explaining why Bay of Fundy is the best place in the world for tidal energy.