Ten months after the Energy Department of Nova Scotia took charge of efforts to retrieve an abandoned tidal turbine from the Bay of Fundy, there is still uncertainty surrounding the timeline for its removal. The 1,300-tonne device remains submerged, with no clear plan for extraction.
The executive director of the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) recently disclosed that survey work using a remote-operated vehicle has been completed, along with a high-resolution multi-beam scan of the area. Lindsay Bennett stated that they are currently evaluating the feasibility of safely recovering the turbine to guide decision-making by the province.
A spokesperson from the Energy Department mentioned that FORCE has been tasked with exploring all safe retrieval options for the turbine. The next steps will be determined once more information is available, although there was no direct confirmation on the commitment to removing the device.
Efforts to recover the turbine have been complicated since the bankruptcy declaration of OpenHydro Group Ltd., the parent company of Cape Sharp Tidal Venture, over seven years ago. The province mandated the removal of the turbine as a condition for another tidal project’s berth, but this plan was disrupted after Occurrent Power faced a similar fate.
Last year, Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau, under the leadership of Premier Tim Houston, pledged collaboration with FORCE to address this issue. While the cost of the retrieval operation remains unknown, there is a $4.5-million bond from Occurrent that can potentially offset the expenses.
Meanwhile, Bennett expressed optimism about updating the community soon on the removal of four concrete-filled boxcars linked to the defunct Occurrent project. She acknowledged the railcars as both a navigational hazard and an eyesore, emphasizing their involvement in technical discussions with the province to plan the removal process and ensure navigational safety.
Transport Canada issued an order in September 2024 for the removal of the railcars, necessitating the installation of buoys to mark their locations for boater safety.
