Orbital gears up for Fundy

Orbital Marine Power, the Scottish company behind the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, is preparing to bring its groundbreaking technology to the Bay of Fundy, in partnership with Canadian developer Eauclaire Tidal.

“We're excited to collaborate with Eauclaire and FORCE to deploy our technology at one of the world's most dynamic tidal energy sites,” said Oliver Wragg, Development Director at Orbital.  We're looking forward to starting to harness the fantastic clean, predictable energy opportunity that flows around Nova Scotia.

Orbital’s floating turbine, the O2, is a 74-metre, 2-megawatt device that is consistently generating clean electricity to the UK grid in Orkney, Scotland. Designed to harness the strongest tidal currents that exist near the surface of the water, the O2 features two 1-megawatt turbines mounted on retractable legs. It can power around 1,700 UK homes and offset 2,000 tonnes of CO2 production per year.

Orbital plans to install their O2-X turbine at FORCE, capable of generating 2.4 megawatts. 

“Bringing Orbital’s floating technology to FORCE is a chance to demonstrate how tidal energy can scale affordably and sustainably,” adds Jane Lowrie, President of Eauclaire Tidal. “This deployment will mark a key step to commercializing tidal energy in Canada.”

Orbital’s floating technology accesses faster-flowing water and simplifies both installation and maintenance. The floating platform can be towed, anchored, and serviced without heavy offshore lifting equipment—most of the construction is completed in shipyards and onshore facilities, where safety and efficiency are easy to manage.

Eauclaire and Orbital’s partnership at FORCE reflects a growing interest in the Bay of Fundy’s extraordinary tidal resource.

See the technology in action:

Video: youtube.com/@OrbitalMarinePowerLtd

Interactive O2-X model: https://o2-x.orbitalmarine.com/