Nova Scotia project receives $4M from federal government to produce clean tidal energy

A tidal energy company in Nova Scotia, Nova Innovation, has secured funding of $4 million from the federal government for its tidal energy project.

Nova Innovation is a tidal energy industry player headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland in the U.K. The company designs, builds and operates tidal energy devices and develops sites for tidal energy projects.

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Nova has offices in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Canada.

According to the company, the project, located in the Petit Passage at the gateway of the Bay of Fundy, will use Nova’s technology to produce clean tidal energy.

“Up to 15 turbines will operate on the seabed, harnessing one of the planet’s most powerful tides,” said Nova Innovation in a press release on Wednesday.

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In December 2019, Nova Innovation said it was awarded a provincial permit to install the 15 turbines together with a commitment for Nova Scotia Power to purchase the electricity generated from its turbine project.

The company also noted that the first turbine is scheduled to go live in 2021 after receiving its permit from the Department of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

“The turbines would withstand the Fundy tide and operate without endangering marine life,” according to Nova, which also said that it has successfully operated three of the turbines in the Shetland Islands without incident since 2016.

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“More water flows in and out of the bay every day than all the world’s freshwater rivers combined, making it the planet’s largest tidal resource,” Nova said.

“Tidal energy has the potential to significantly reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by displacing electricity generated from fossil fuels. The project will contribute to Canada’s clean energy future, strengthen the local economy, and create green jobs,” it added.