Joint Partnership Identifies Fundy Lessons Learned

March 25th, 2019 | Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia’s efforts to explore the energy potential in the Minas Passage will now have the benefit of a new report – Lessons Learned: Marine Operations in the Minas Passage – which documents the critical information learned from working in the challenging conditions of the world’s most powerful tides.
Commissioned by the Offshore Energy Research Association (OERA) through the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM), the report enables marine operators, research scientists, vessel owners and the public to review lessons drawn from dealing with situations like sensor platform deployments and recoveries, mooring trials, turbine operations and diving and remove operated vehicle (ROV) activities. The report also looks at how the local supply chain has been involved in tidal energy activities.

Prepared by Operational Excellence Consulting Inc., with the assistance from the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE), the report documents the experiences of project developers and contractors who have worked at the FORCE site in the Minas Passage from 2014 to early 2018.

“Working in water that moves over 20 kilometres an hour is challenging,” says FORCE general manager Tony Wright. “There are still many questions to answer about what the best way to tackle that challenge. But we have also learned some key lessons – through both failure and success. This report helps document and share those lessons, which is really what FORCE is here to do.”

“This report will help Nova Scotia’s tidal energy industry by sharing information from early experiences” said Jason Clarkson of Operational Excellence Consulting Inc., lead author of the report. “Having been involved in the planning execution of complicated marine operations in Minas Passage, I understand the value information like this has to the industry”.

Alisdair McLean, Executive Director of OERA said: “We hope the report helps maintain a high level of marine safety and improves operational efficiencies for all participants in the tidal energy sector.”

A full copy of the report may be found at www.oera.ca.

About OERA
The OERA is a not-for-profit organization that leads environmental, marine renewable and marine geoscience energy research initiatives through strategic partnerships with government, industry and academia. As an independent agency without a legislative or regulatory mandate, the OERA engages multiple stakeholders to address critical research gaps to help reduce investment risk and contribute to the sustainable development of Nova Scotia’s offshore energy sector.

About Operational Excellence
Operational Excellence Consulting Inc. is a project management, regulatory compliance and health and safety management company in the energy sector. Operational Excellence Consulting Inc. provides extensive experience working cross-functionally, possessing an array of proficiencies throughout various industries and across dozens of sectors both domestically and internationally.

About FORCE
FORCE is Canada’s lead test facility for in-stream tidal energy technology, located in the Bay of Fundy. As a not-for-profit research lab, FORCE collaborates with government, industry, academia and the public to better understand if this technology can play a safe, effective role in Canada’s energy future.

Media Contact

Alisdair McLean
Executive Director, Offshore Energy Research Association
902-717-7391
amclean@oera.ca

Jason Clarkson
President, Operational Excellence
902-578-0912
Jason.Clarkson@operational-excellence.ca

Melissa Oldreive
Research & Outreach Manager, FORCE
902-406-1166 ext. 4
Melissa.Oldreive@fundyforce.ca

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