A new study from the International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) at Heriot-Watt’s Orkney Campus estimates that Nova Scotia could generate energy from tidal power equivalent to 2% of Canada’s energy requirements and generate billions of dollars in gross domestic product.
The report was sponsored by the Ocean Energy Research Association in Nova Scotia, and produced by ICIT in collaboration with Acadia Tidal Energy Institute and Gardner Pinfold Inc.
The report states that the ultimate tidal development capacity of for Nova Scotia may be as much as 2,500 mega-watts (MW). A medium term goal of 500 MW of installed capacity by 2032 is a reasonable objective.
Over the next 25 years the global tidal energy industry is expected to contribute $1.7 billion in gross domestic product, create 22,000 full time equivalent positions and generate $815 million in labour income. These impacts are largely concentrated in Nova Scotia with spill-over to Atlantic Canada and rest of Canada.
The report concludes that Canadian suppliers are in an excellent position to provide 60-70% of the goods and services required for tidal energy development in the Bay of Fundy. Most of this could be supplied at or near the tidal development site, bolstering rural economies.
Heriot Watt’s Dr Sandy Kerr, who contributed to the report with colleague Dr Kate Johnson, said, “It’s exciting to see a tidal energy sector in Scotland on the brink of delivering commercially viable electricity and how other countries like Canada are learning from experience gained on this side of the Atlantic. ”
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