Scottish renewable energy company Nautricity is joining forces with Canadian firm Fundy Tidal Inc to develop a 500kw commercial tidal project in Nova Scotia.
Under the terms of a memorandum-of-understanding (MOU), Nautricity will deploy its Contra Rotating Marine Turbine (CoRMaT) device and its patented HydroBuoy mooring system in Petit Passage, a tidal channel that flows between Long Island and Digby Neck in the Bay of Fundy. Deployment is expected in late summer 2015.
The MOU also provides for collaboration on a wide range of issues including grid connection and storage, as well as participation in research and development initiatives at universities in Scotland and Nova Scotia.
It is anticipated that further devices may be added at a later date to the community feed-in tariff tidal project in Petit Passage.
In May, Nautricity announced it was on track to be one of the first tidal energy technology developers to produce commerciallyviable electricity after starting tests on the CoRMaT device, along with the HydroBuoy system, at the European Marine Energy Centre, in Orkney. It has also been given the go-ahead to develop one of it devices in waters off the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.
Petit Passage provides flows similar to those at the EMEC site which approach speeds found at FORCE, a Canadian test centre for in-stream tidal energy technology, in Nova Scotia.
“We are delighted with the opportunity to partner with Fundy Tidal on the delivery of this important project," said Cameron Johnstone, Chief Executive of Nautricity. "This is a great platform to demonstrate how new approaches to the development of tidal energy projects can deliver benefit to both Nova Scotia and Scottish companies."
“We have been in discussions with Nautricity for a couple of years and are most pleased that both our companies have evolved to the stage where we are now formerly working together in the delivery of the Petit Passage project," added Vince Stuart, President of Fundy Tidal Inc. "This partnership is a concrete example of the desire of both the Scottish and Nova Scotia governments and industry to foster collaboration on marine energy developments."
