Premier Promotes Nova Scotia's Green Technologies in Copenhagen

Premier Darrell Dexter, today, Dec. 16, spoke to more than 70 business leaders from around the world at a reception in Copenhagen to showcase Nova Scotia's innovative green technologies.

"Nova Scotia has an exciting story to tell about what we are doing to address climate change and other environmental issues while growing a sustainable, green economy," said Premier Dexter.

All participants from the Nova Scotia delegation were at the event to meet potential investors and other businesses interested in what Nova Scotia companies are doing about climate change, environmental sustainability and green economic development.

Premier Dexter was joined by the president and COO of Minas Basin Pulp and Power, Scott Travers, who spoke to the group about tidal power.

"Minas Basin Pulp and Power and the rest of Team Nova Scotia are here in Copenhagen and want to tell the world that we are open for business," said Mr. Travers. "Come and invest in our tidal power."

Research suggests the Bay of Fundy is the best site for tidal power generation in North America, with an enormous resource next to an existing transmission grid and potential consumers.

"The future for tidal power in Nova Scotia is strong: we have a world-class resource attracting world-class technology," said Premier Dexter. "Tidal power from the Bay of Fundy is one of Nova Scotia's most promising sources of clean, renewable energy."

One-hundred billion tonnes of seawater flows through the Bay of Fundy every tide cycle. This is about four times the combined flow of all the freshwater rivers and streams in the world.

Two years ago, government selected Minas Basin Pulp and Power as the developer of the first grid-connected in-stream tidal power array demonstration project in the world. This commercial threshold technology uses the kinetic power of tidal currents and does not require a constricting dam.

Using this technology, there is an estimated 300 megawatts of extractable energy from the Minas Basin area of the Bay of Fundy alone, which is enough energy to power close to 100,000 homes. For Nova Scotia, it represents up to 15 per cent of the total electricity demand and could cut emissions by about 1 million tons a year.

Minas Basin Pulp and Power is managing the project from design to the approval stages, including operation.