German tidal power developer Voith Hydro is taking a look at the province’s latest proposal to test an underwater turbine to turn the tides of the Bay of Fundy into a source of energy.
"Yes, Nova Scotia is an opportunity," said Pierre Seguin, Voith Hydro’s head of business development, in Brossard, Que., on Tuesday.
He said the company heard the government’s request for proposal for a fourth berth in the Bay of Fundy has "hit the street."
"We will take a look at it, but it is an investment decision and it will have to go before our board," said Seguin.
The provincial government announced Tuesday it is looking for a fourth developer to try and harness the tides of the Bay for Fundy to generate electricity. The Energy Department received five responses to an expression of interest issued earlier this year.
Seguin confirmed Voith was one of those companies that showed interest to the government in a test project in the Bay of Fundy. The Chronicle Herald has reported that Norwegian tidal power developer Hammerfest Strom is also interested.
The proponent must demonstrate the financial capability to fund the expensive technology that can withstand the harsh conditions in the bay, along with a plan to monitor effects on the environment, according to the government.
The deadline for proposals is Oct. 20.
Last week, the Atlantic Resources Corp. of England said it is interested in the tidal energy potential of the Bay of Fundy and is waiting for the government to issue its request for proposals.
But on Tuesday a company spokesman in London said it was probably too soon for the company to submit a proposal.
The successful proponent will join three other developers — Nova Scotia Power, Alstom and Minas Basin Pulp and Power — that have berths on the ocean floor.
Nova Scotia Power and its technology partner, OpenHydro, of Dublin, Ireland, have experienced the trials and tribulations of developing working tidal turbines.
The two companies deployed a $10-million turbine in the Minas Passage about 10 kilometres west of Parrsboro last November. It was damaged and will be hauled out of the water next month.
Nova Scotia Power discovered that two blades made from blends of plastic and glass on the 400-tonne experimental turbine broke off in May. The malfunction is forcing the company to pull the device out of the water a year ahead of schedule.
Two other companies, Minas Basin Pulp and Power of Hantsport and Alstom of Switzerland, have also been chosen to test turbines in the Bay of Fundy, with their projects scheduled to be installed in 2012.
The government’s decision to find a company interested in testing another turbine was welcome news to the organization overseeing development of tidal power in the Bay of Fundy.
"It’s great because this is brand new technology and we welcome another party to test a new technology," said Matt Lumley, spokesman for the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy. "It will be exciting to see how it unfolds."
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1202030.html
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