An Irish renewable energy firm company has successfully deployed the first commercial scale in-stream tidal turbine in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.

OpenHydroon completed the work on behalf of its customer, Nova Scotia Power.

The one-megawatt (1MW) rated commercial scale turbine reached the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) deployment site, in the Minas Passage, on 11 November.

The turbine was fully deployed last Thursday and is now operational, rotating with the tides, collecting data, and producing energy.

James Ives, CEO of OpenHydro, described the development as an "historic first" for both his firm and Nova Scotia.

-- Advertisement --

"For the first time, thanks to Nova Scotia Power’s foresight and OpenHydro’s technology, a commercial size in-stream tidal turbine has been successfully deployed in what is undoubtedly one of the world’s strongest tidal energy resources," he said.

Nova Scotia Power President, Rob Bennett said an "important period" will now begin to demonstrate tidal energy can be a major part of Nova Scotia’s renewable energy future.

Once on site, the 400-tonne device was lowered within one hour to its intended location on the ocean floor by the purpose-built barge called the OpenHydro Installer.

The tidal turbine, barge and the deployment method were all designed and developed by OpenHydro. The turbines are manufactured in Ireland.

The turbine now rests on the seabed, secured in place by a subsea gravity base designed by OpenHydro and fabricated by Cherubini Metal Works, a Dartmouth based company.

Last month, OpenHydro was awarded a grant of up to €2m under Sustainable Energy Ireland’s (SEI) Ocean Energy Prototype Research & Development Programme.

(PR/KMcA)