TREPA NEWS: Tidal Power Assessment
Oct 25th, 2007 by Brian Hurlburt
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TREPA, the Tusket River Environmental Association, had a number of summer students working with them this summer and the students have prepared reports covering the project they worked on. More details concerning TREPA and these projects can be found by contacting TREPA or by visiting the TREPA Web Site.
The reports featured here have been taken from the TREPA News and are meant to highlight the work of TREPA and the students who helped in this research and the development of these reports.
There are four reports in all and I hope to bring you one per week. This is the third report we’ve featured and it is entitled: “Tidal Power Assessment” by Nathan Goldring.
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Tidal Power Assessment
By Nathan Goldring
New technologies are arising and having influences everywhere in our world. With rapid climate change, increasing energy prices, and declining supplies of fossil fuels, the world is in need of a change in energy sources. Soon, Nova Scotia will have to consider using these alternative sources to meet future energy needs, while protecting the environment.
By 2013, the province of Nova Scotia plans to generate almost 20 percent of the province’s electricity though renewable energy. Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association (OEER) has located seven potential locations to install tidal technologies in Nova Scotia. These places are Cumberland Basin, Minas Channel, Minas Passage, Cobequid Bay, Digby Gut, Petit Passage and Grand Passage.
Studies indicate these seven locations could generate 330 megawatts of power by using tidally driven turbines.
According to OEER 15 percent of the tidal energy could be extracted without causing any significant environmental impact. Since but this is just an assumption it makes us wonder if production of electricity by tidally driven turbines and other methods will be an advantage or a disadvantage to Nova Scotia.
To answer these questions TREPA representatives attended the forum at the Rod Grand Hotel in Yarmouth given by the OEER. The conference explained to us on how this new technologies operates under water and all the many different turbines that have potential use for the Bay of Fundy.
According to OEER there are number of reasons why the under water turbines should be built in the Bay of Fundy.
It would benefit the people of Nova Scotia economically since the whole east coast of Canada depends on fuel from the west.
Constructing and operating tidal turbines will provide jobs and tidal stream technology equals less money for the general public.
Turbines a better choice to use than tidal dam based technologies which are considered unsuitable because of larger environmental and economic concerns. But are these turbines really environmentally friendly?
Some believe this project would have a serious environmental and socio-economic impact.
Fishermen of Nova Scotia may be affected by the construction and the operation of these turbines since locations are near fishing areas that also helps our economy.
Many are concerned that it would mean no work and no salary. Fishermen would take a hard hit if the marine life such as lobsters, fish and scallops are affected and without a doubt fishing communities would be against this project. Also, other marine mammals and birds can be harmed due to construction on the ocean’s floor and pollution.
There are a lot of question to be answered concerning other environmental effects. For instance: Would there be a problem with moving ice in the winter? Will there be a lot of noise and vibrations? Will there be an impact on shipping and transportation lanes? And, will these turbines damage protected sites and species like the Atlantic Salmon?
With all the existing and operating turbines around the world already, this technology has not yet shown evidence of negative impact on marine life and the environment.
However, there has been little or no monitoring of the environmental affects of tidal projects, so sound evidence is not yet available.
Tidal powered turbines are not anticipated for another seven years or more and many permits must be signed and approved first. The proponent must meet with federal and provincial steering committees to discuss and review these matters. OEER has informed the public of their schedule.
They are to find a location for the turbines in the Bay of Fundy by spring of 2008 and construct a demo turbine by the summer and have it running by the spring of 2009.
TREPA’s presence and observation helped us to see what other people’s reaction was to this project. In general, there was an agreement with the plan to set up the demo turbine in the Bay of Fundy keeping in mind monitoring and observing the course of the project for environmental impacts and to develop cautiously and gradually.
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I welcome your feedback, opinions, and suggestions, as to ways we can improve our local transportation systems.
Please feel free to add your comments below, or send us an email if you prefer.
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For YarmouthCounty.com, this has been Brian Hurlburt, and I invite you to Make it a great day!
Sincerely,
Brian Hurlburt
customerservice@yarmouthcounty.com
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