2020 Highlights

Technology Demonstration

• Big Moon Canada Corporation (BigMoon) was announced as the successful applicant to fill berth D at FORCE. As part of the agreement, the company will also remove the Cape Sharp turbine.

• SMEC now plans to deploy three new PLAT-I platforms at FORCE. Each platform will be equipped with SCHOTTEL Instream Turbines (SIT 250), with a rated power output of 420kW. The first platform is now under assembly at A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd in Meteghan. Commissioning trials will take place in Grand Passage during winter 2021, with construction work at FORCE targeted to commence Q2 2021, and with two additional platforms installed at a later date. The deployment of three platforms would represent the completion of phase 1 of SMEC’s Pempa’q In-stream Tidal Energy Project.

• Minas Tidal adopted the technology solution (PLAT-I floating platform with Schottel turbines) presently being tested by SME in Grand Passage. This technology change was approved by NSDEM.

 

Research and Environmental Monitoring

• In 2020, FORCE successfully applied for and won a $2M grant from NRCan’s Emerging Renewable Power Program to support greater regulatory clarity around tidal project development. The Risk Assessment Program (RAP) for tidal stream energy is designed to create a detailed, credible assessment tool to gauge the probability that fish will encounter a tidal device. Key partners include Acadia University, Marine Renewables Canada (MRC), Mi’kmaw Conservation Group (MCG), Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), and Dalhousie University.

• FORCE’s applied research programs continue, including the Vectron, radar, hydroacoustics, continued ADCP deployments and data collection, focused effort to characterize the wake from Black, MRE GIS: display and communicate large and complex data sets, tide gauge recovery and repair, and integration of FORCE data into the Canadian Integrated Offshore Observation System (CIOOS)

• Continued environmental monitoring at the FORCE site