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For anyone hoping to harness tidal energy, the most powerful force to be reckoned with is the tidal surge in the Bay of Fundy. The Bay’s Minas Passage in Nova Scotia is the focal point for the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE), an organization that has drawn together a consortium of technology developers, researchers, utility suppliers and government in an effort to harness clean, renewable in-stream tidal energy.

“We get a lot of jokes around ‘May the force be with you’,” laughs Matthew Lumley, communications director for FORCE.

While other projects are taking place in various corners of the world, the Bay of Fundy is unique in terms of the volume of water and the speed it moves, he explains. “It’s known to have the highest tides in the world. But what’s more important from an energy generation standpoint is water velocity, which has a direct impact on extractable power.”

When water reaches the shallower regions of the Minas Passage, velocity peaks at five metres per second. Total extractable power at that speed is calculated to be 7,000 megawatts. “Modelling suggests 2,500 megawatts are safely extractable without creating drag on the tides,” Lumley says. “That’s an enormous amount of power.”