Nova Scotia issues permit for new tidal energy project in Bay of Fundy

The Nova Scotia government is moving ahead with a project that aims to harness the immense power of the Bay of Fundy’s tides, despite the uncertain future of the Cape Sharp Tidal venture.

The Department of Energy and Mines has issued a marine renewable energy permit to Black Rock Tidal Power allowing it to test a 280-kilowatt floating platform for up to six months.

READ MORE: Team investigating why rotor not turning on Cape Sharp tidal turbine

The floating platform will be installed in Grand Passage, between Long Island and Brier Island in Digby County.

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The permit will allow the Halifax-based company to learn how its device operates in a marine environment and “take a staged approach to deployment.”

WATCH: Emera Inc. left with no ‘practical choice’ but to pull support from Cape Sharp Tidal project

1:48 Emera Inc. left with no ‘practical choice’ but to pull support from Cape Sharp Tidal project

It comes as an Irish technical team works to determine why the rotor on the Cape Sharp Tidal turbine in the Bay of Fundy is not turning.

Halifax-based Emera Inc., which was involved in the troubled project, said this week that experts believe a component failure in the generator “caused sufficient damage to prevent the rotor from turning.”