Friday, January 05, 2007

Further to Fundy Tidal Energy

I forgot to mention the potential of the Bay of Fundy's tidal energy resource. It is estimated that a single generator in the Minas Channel (between Parrsboro and Cape Blomidon) could generate 250 megawatts of power - that's about enough to power 200,000 homes.

I guess that makes sense when you consider that there is 100 billion tonnes of sea water moving in and out of the Bay of Fundy in a single tide cycle - more than the combined flow of all the freshwater rivers in the world!

There is already one small tidal energy project: the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station which has been operating on the Annapolis River since 1984. It uses Bay of Fundy tides to produce 20 megawatts of energy, or enough to power 4,000 homes.

The world's largest tidal power project, the La Rance station built in France in the 1960s, generates 240 megawatts.

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