(P85) Supporting In-Stream Tidal Power Generation in British Columbia, Canada with High Quality Current Measurements and Numerical Modeling

Coastal British Columbia, Canada is an intriguing environment comprised of large tides, narrow passages, and inlets. This setting exudes great potential for tidal energy generation, particularly within the strong tidal currents in Discovery Passage, however early successes have not yet led to long-term tidal generation operations. Early innovation was led by Clean Current Power Systems Inc., with the installation of the first ducted turbine off Victoria, B.C. for an initial run near Race Rocks in 2006. ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. supported these early efforts with physical oceanographic current surveys as well as numerical modelling (Fissel et al, 2008). At Race Rocks, the currents were mapped to pinpoint the optimal location and depth for the turbine. Current speed time-series data were used to predict power generation output. ASL has also supported a proposed project by New Energy Corporation Inc. to breach an existing causeway at Canoe Pass and install vertical axis turbines. Numerical modeling was applied to predict flows following the proposed breach of the causeway. ASL has also supported other projects, including an installation by Water Wall Turbine Inc. near Dent Island. Real-time current profile data collected by ASL was used to help identify the best spot for a bi-directional turbine.
ASL is presently offering new high-resolution numerical models, such as the unstructured-grid Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) to continue to support in-water turbine operations. FVCOM modeling has been successfully applied to simulate flows within the small-scale topography of Discovery Passage (Lin et al., 2013; Lin and Fissel, 2014). Challenges addressed include strong tidal currents (of up to 7.8m s-1), small-scale topographic features, and freshwater discharge and stratification. The unstructured-grid model will prove very useful for future tidal studies, as it generates reasonable maps of the very strong currents in tidal channels, with the advantage of high adaptability in resolving the complex geometry of the narrow channels.
Limited governmental support and competition from large-scale hydroelectric power generation continue to challenge the nascent tidal energy sector in British Columbia. Despite these challenges, tidal power may find an important niche in remote coastal communities, displacing diesel electrical generation at Indigenous communities, fishing lodges, and industrial operations. Water Wall Turbine Inc. attempted to exploit this niche market and installed a surface paddle-wheel style power plant at Dent Island to provide up to 1 MW of power to the nearby lodge. The system was successfully commissioned, but unfortunately the floating power plant broke its mooring and has not been re-installed. YourBrook Energy Inc. is presently proposing a tidal turbine in Masset Inlet to provide power to Indigenous communities on Haida Gwaii. Other companies such as Mavi Innovations Inc. have tested tidal generation concepts, but at present none are yet in operation in BC.