Nova Scotia’s efforts to explore the energy potential in the Minas Passage will now have the benefit of a new report – Lessons Learned: Marine Operations in the Minas Passage – which documents the critical information learned from working in the challenging conditions of the world’s most powerful tides.
Commissioned by the Offshore Energy Research Association (OERA) through the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM), the report enables marine operators, research scientists, vessel owners and the public to review lessons drawn from dealing with situations like sensor platform deployments and recoveries, mooring trials, turbine operations and diving and remove operated vehicle (ROV) activities.
The report also looks at how the local supply chain has been involved in tidal energy activities.
Prepared by Operational Excellence Consulting, with the assistance from the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE), the report documents the experiences of project developers and contractors who have worked at the FORCE site in the Minas Passage from 2014 to early 2018.
“ Working in water that moves over 20 kilometres an hour is challenging ,” says FORCE general manager Tony Wright . “ There are still many questions to answer about what the best way to tackle that challenge. But we have also learned some key lessons – through both failure and success. This report helps document and share those lessons, which is really what FORCE is here to do. ”
“ This report will help Nova Scotia’s tidal energy industry by sharing information from early experiences, ” said Jason Clarkson of Operational Excellence Consulting, lead author of the report. “ Having been involved in the planning execution of complicated marine operations in Minas Passage, I understand the value information like this has to the industry. ”
Alisdair McLean , executive director of OERA, said: “ We hope the report helps maintain a high level of marine safety and improves operational efficiencies for all participants in the tidal energy sector .”
The final report can be found HERE .