OES Annual Report 2012 - Ocean Energy Systems

46
CANADA
Tracey Kutney 1 2 , Jonathan Brady 2 and Chris Campbell 3
1
CanmetENERGY, 2 Natural Resources Canada, 3 Marine Renewables Canada
INTRODUCTION
Canada has one of the largest tidal resources in the world. In 2012, Canada continued to build the
enabling environment to develop its marine renewable energy sector. Activities defined in Canada’s Marine
Renewable Energy Roadmap, released in November 2011, were undertaken, with the sector focusing on a
number of foundational initiatives critical for commercialization of this industry.
In the past year, both the federal and provincial governments continued developing supportive policies, shared
infrastructure, and strategic research initiatives. The province of Nova Scotia remained the focal-point of activity
for marine renewables in Canada. In May, Nova Scotia released its “Marine Renewable Energy Strategy”,
which articulates the province’s goal of advancing marine renewable energy beyond resource prospects and
technology trials, to a new phase of accelerated development that will facilitate domestic industrial growth,
international exports and roughly 300 MW of grid-connected in-stream tidal current energy generated by 2030.
Nova Scotia’s Community Feed-In-Tariff (COMFIT) program became the first program in the world to award
community-owned tidal projects, with 5 projects awarded to date. Building on the success of the COMFIT
program, Nova Scotia is developing a tidal energy Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program for Developmental Tidal Arrays
and devices greater than 500 kW. This new FIT program is expected to be launched in 2013 and will apply to
the fourth berth currently tendered at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy.
In September, the province of British Columbia signalled its continued interest in supporting the
development of the marine renewable energy sector with the signing of a declaration of intent with Nova
Scotia to collaborate on in-stream tidal energy research and policy development.
At the federal level, the Government of Canada continued to support research, development and
deployment initiatives and is examining options for a policy framework to administer renewable energy
projects in the federal offshore.
OCEAN ENERGY POLICY
Strategy and National Targets
Canada’s Marine Renewable Energy Technology Roadmap establishes targets whereby the Canadian sector
contributes to projects totalling 75 MW by 2016, 250 MW by 2020 and 2 GW by 2030 for installed in-stream
tidal, river-current and wave energy generation.
Nova Scotia’s Marine Renewable Energy Strategy outlines the Province’s plan to promote innovation
and research, establish a regulatory system and encourage the development of market-competitive
technologies and an industrial sector. It sets targets to develop marine renewable energy legislation by
2013, the installation of 5 to 60 MW of grid-connected in-stream tidal electricity generation by 2015 and
300 MW of in-stream tidal electricity generation grid connected by 2030.
Support Initiatives and Market Stimulation Incentives
Over the last six years, Marine Renewables Canada, formerly known as the Ocean Renewable Energy
Group, estimates that there has been at least $85 million in federal and provincial support to marine energy
development projects.
At the provincial level, the Government of Nova Scotia launched the COMFIT program, in September
2011, to encourage the development of local renewable energy projects by: municipalities, First Nations,
ANNUAL
REPORT 2012