Proposed Mackenzie River submersible turbine project advances to next phase
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Ottawa has announced $600K in funding for the data collection phase
A project that would generate hydroelectricity for Fort Providence, N.W.T., using a submersible turbine in the Mackenzie River instead of a dam will receive just under $600,000 to fund the project’s next stage: data collection.
The money will be used to install a device at the bottom of the river this month, which will stay in the water until next spring and record the river velocity and help understand ice conditions throughout the winter, said Fabienne Joly, the director of development for the Canadian branch of the Ocean Renewable Power Company, which developed the system.
The territory’s MP Rebecca Alty announced the funding – from the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program – at a roundtable Wednesday where government, research and local business representatives discussed the project’s future.
“Together, we’re laying the groundwork for new opportunities, economic growth and meaningful [responses to] climate change,” Alty said.
If the results from the device prove to be promising and regulatory approvals are secured, a submersible turbine could be installed as a pilot as soon as next year, Joly said.
The electricity from the project would be first used to power the Big River Service Centre in Fort Providence, and any surplus energy would be siphoned to other facilities in the community, such as an EV charging station.
Company could install up to 8 turbines
The turbine would be in the Mackenzie River for three months to a year, to study its function and any associated risks.
If all goes well with the first turbine, Joly said that a total of eight turbines could be used in the future to cover the energy load requirements of the community.
But she also mentioned that other renewable forms of energy, such as solar, could be used along with the turbines to power the community.
“We are really working in collaboration with other project partners to be part of a global solution,” she said.
The project is headed by James Christie, who represents the Big River Service Company, a Métis-owned business in Fort Providence, in partnership with the Canadian Hydrokinetic Turbine Test Centre and contracted to the Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC).
The submersible turbine is called RivGen.
“If successful, this project could lead to the first commercial demonstration of the Ocean Renewable Power Company turbine in Canada tested in northern conditions,” Alty said.
The project has been met with support from community members in Fort Providence, Christie said.
Engagement sessions have been conducted with residents, who were interested in and supportive of the project.
The community would benefit in multiple ways, he said, adding that it would help Fort Providence transition away from fossil fuels, lower the cost of power and create more jobs.
“We’re hoping to do our part in the transition to cleaner energy,” said Christie. “It’s a goal of our community and we’ve been working towards that.”
While Fort Providence is the focus of the project, a site assessment last year indicated that other communities in the N.W.T., including Wrigley, Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River, may also be able to make use of submersible turbines in the future.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: N.W.T. gov’t tells power companies to plan to increase use of renewable energy, CBC News
