Blades break off underwater turbine prototype - Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca: "This latest news comes after The Chronicle Herald first reported in March that the company had lost contact with sensors on the turbine only seven days after it was lowered to the ocean floor last November in the Minas Passage. An acoustic modem failed to trigger sensors attached to the turbine to collect critical data about potential electrical production.
The turbid waters and strong currents in the Bay of Fundy prevent the company from sending divers to the site to fix the problem and it is difficult to take video footage.
Savoury said he hopes the turbine, located about 10 kilometres west of Parrsboro, will be repaired and can be put back into the water for further testing.
'This will involve no additional costs for Nova Scotia Power customers,' said Savoury.
OpenHydro, a renewable energy company, will pick up the tab for the removal, repair and redeployment of the turbine back into the water. But Corcoran said it’s too early to say how much the repairs will cost.
Despite the setbacks, Nova Scotia Power and OpenHydro are committed to trying to tap this huge energy resource.
'It has one of the strongest resources known in the world and that is exactly why OpenHydro and NSP (are) deploying turbines here, and any lessons that we learn along this journey will only make the turbines stronger, and (the) likelihood of commercial tidal (power) possible,' said Corcoran.
The massive steel turbine sitting on the seafloor is not connected to the power grid.
There are two other groups hoping to launch their tidal prototypes in the Bay of Fundy next year: Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company Ltd. of Hantsport and Clean Current Power Systems Inc. of British Columbia.
( jmyrden@herald.ca)
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