Dutch-based Tocardo Tidal Turbines has teamed up with two Canadian companies, Minas Energy, and International Marine Energy, to test its tidal energy technology in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.
The companies have formed Minas Tidal Limited Partnership (MTLP) with the aim to deploy four Tocardo semi-submersible platforms, or Universal Foundation Platform Systems (UFS), at Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) outfitted with four 250kW T2 bi-directional open rotor turbines, totaling 1MW for each UFS.
Four UFS platforms will combine to make up the 4MW allocation at FORCE. The floating submerged platform will be held in place by catenary mooring systems.
MTLP plans to begin the first platform deployment in 2017, according to FORCE.
“We feel brave enough to go to the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is the holy grail,” Hans van Breugel , CEO of Tocardo, was quoted as saying by the Times Colonist.
The partnership has also announced consultations with First Nations, fishing industry, and local community to resolve any potential issues ahead of the deployment of tidal technology in one of Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) test berths in the Bay, the Times Colonist reports.