Former tidal energy device to be re-purposed as fish monitoring platform
FORCE acquires tidal energy platform for sensor research in Bay of Fundy
FORCE has acquired the former Sustainable Marine Energy floating tidal platform, the PLAT-I 6.40, for use in the Ocean Sensor Innovation Platforms (OSIP) project. The platform provides a highly capable structure – originally engineered for harnessing tidal energy – to serve as a foundation for next-generation monitoring and research.
Funded by Natural Resources Canada, the OSIP project is designed to advance environmental monitoring in the world’s highest tides – featuring optical, acoustic, and fish-tracking instruments, allowing wireless data transfer, and integrating Mi’kmaw ecological knowledge to build a more complete picture of how marine life moves through the Minas Passage.
The PLAT-I is well suited to this work: a wide, stable platform designed for strong currents, with ample deck space and existing cable pathways to support sensor systems.
“Acquiring the PLAT-I is an exceptional opportunity,” says Lindsay Bennett, FORCE’s executive director. “It provides an adaptable platform to test sensors side by side, it’s already designed for the unique conditions of Minas Passage, and it offers significant savings over the cost of building new infrastructure.”
The platform was purchased from reconcept Canada, the principal investor in the former SME tidal project, and still an active developer with a 5-megawatt license at FORCE. The platform will undergo structural repair, coating, power-system integration, and a controlled relaunch from A.F. Theriault & Son shipyard in Meteghan River, Nova Scotia. The platform’s first field trials are expected later this year.
Built for high flow science
The PLAT-I’s structure is designed to hold a steady position in the powerful tides of Minas Passage and offers flexibility in mounting and testing of many different instruments, including environmental sensors.
“The PLAT-I advances monitoring at the FORCE site with the novel use and integration of sensing equipment in high flow conditions,” says Dr. Anna Redden, director of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute at Acadia University and a central research partner in the OSIP project. “It’s an ideal deck layout for working collaboratively to test different marine life monitoring approaches and sensing technologies.”
The refitted platform will serve as a shared resource for researchers, partners, regulators, and technology suppliers, directly supporting the federal Task Force on Sustainable Tidal Energy Development’s call for additional environmental data and collaborative monitoring approaches.
Adds Bennett: “It just makes sense: we’re reusing a platform built specifically for these waters, instead of commissioning a new build. That accelerates our timelines to start this research, keeps costs down, and maintains safety and reliability – all in service of strengthening the science that underpins tidal energy decisions in Canada.”
FORCE recently issued an RFP to design and install the onboard power system; more opportunities related to the project are expected over the next two years.
About FORCE
The Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) is Canada’s lead facility for tidal stream energy research, operating a grid-connected test site in the Bay of Fundy—home to the highest tides in the world. In partnership with industry, government, Indigenous organizations, and academia, FORCE supports technology deployment, research and science to advance responsible tidal energy development.
More at fundyforce.ca