N.S. government will oversee recovery of abandoned tidal turbine

Nova Scotia Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau says his department will take the lead on finding a way to recover a long-abandoned tidal turbine from the floor of the Bay of Fundy.

Previously, the department tried to tie recovery of the 1,300-tonne turbine to berth conditions at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre of Energy (FORCE), located near Parrsboro, N.S.

But in an interview on Monday, Boudreau confirmed his department and FORCE will now oversee the effort.

"We want this done as quickly as possible to be able to open up that berth but it has to be done in a safe and appropriate way," said Boudreau.

Removing the turbine was supposed to be the responsibility of tidal energy company Occurrent Power as part of its berth conditions at FORCE. But those plans were scuttled after the company, which had hoped to harness the powerful tides of the Bay of Fundy to generate electricity, filed for bankruptcy last fall.

Boudreau said there is no timeline yet for the recovery work. A department spokesperson has previously noted that a $4.5-million bond from Occurrent toward the cost of retrieving the device remains in place.

The turbine was abandoned more than six years ago after OpenHydro Group Ltd., the parent of device owner Cape Sharp Tidal Venture, declared bankruptcy. Efforts also continue to remove four railcars filled with concrete that acted as moorings for the Occurrent project. Transport Canada has declared them a navigational hazard.

Meanwhile, the Energy Department announced last week that it's looking to fill the other two vacant berths at FORCE. The province hired Power Advisory LLC to manage the procurement process, which will begin next month.

Successful applicants will get licences and power purchase agreements with Nova Scotia Power and develop agreements with FORCE to use the site, according to a release from the Energy Department. Only companies with the technical expertise and financial capacity to construct, operate and decommission a project will be considered, the release said.

Minister remains optimistic

The two berths were previously held by DP Energy.

Eauclaire Tidal Limited Partnership and Reconcept Group currently occupy the other two berths at FORCE.

For years, successive premiers and energy ministers have talked about the potential of using the tides in the Bay of Fundy to create renewable energy, but there's been little to show for that talk other than bankrupt companies and busted devices.

Still, Boudreau said he remains optimistic that someone and some project could come along to chart a new course.

"We still have proponents who are very interested and want to work with us on solving this challenge. So, you know, this is the type of thing that test sites are required for. This is what it's about, it's about learning from past failures and building on those."