Procurement to open soon for new tidal energy projects in Bay of Fundy

The provincial government says it will open procurement this spring for new tidal energy projects.

Companies interested in bringing tidal energy to the Bay of Fundy will be able to apply for a site in the Minas Passage.

The province says it has hired consultant Power Advisory LLC to manage the procurement process for two vacant berths at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy, or FORCE, located near Parrsboro. That work is expected to begin in May.

The government says the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables will issue licences and power purchase agreements with Nova Scotia Power for successful applicants. Licence holders will also need to reach agreements with FORCE to use the facility.

FORCE has five berths in total — two are in use and two are available.

A fifth berth is unavailable as the department continues work to address the abandoned OpenHydro turbine.

The province says companies will need both the technical expertise and financial capacity to construct, operate and decommission their projects.

Difficulties producing power

In September 2024, another energy company failed in its bid to develop tidal power from the Bay of Fundy. The government said that Occurrent, formerly BigMoon Power, had filed for bankruptcy because it can’t pay its bills.

Last year, Sustainable Marine Energy — based in the United Kingdom — also failed, with estimated losses of more than $30 million. That collapse came after OpenHydro, which had partnered with Nova Scotia energy giant Emera Inc., left a 1,300-tonne tidal turbine stranded on the bottom of the bay in 2018 after going out of business.

The abandonment of projects and bankruptcy in the Bay of Fundy has concerned fishing groups that are worried about tonnes of materials and equipment left on the ocean floor.