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N.S. hopes to spur tidal energy research at Dal's Aquatron

Dalhousie University is hoping to convince companies looking to harness the world's highest tides that it has what it takes to help them discover the best and safest technologies to do that.

In an attempt to kick-start Dal's efforts, the Nova Scotia government has made $150,000 available to tidal energy companies that choose to test their models or conduct related research at the university's state-of-the-art Aquatron lab.

The manager of the facility, John Batt, says it has plenty of equipment and one-of-a-kind space available for research.

"We have six very large tanks, but we also have 17 wet labs that have all kinds of controls for waters," he told CBC News during a brief tour of the facility. "We can do temperature control. We can do water quality control.

"Really, we can work with larval animals or we can work with full-grown animals. We have the tools. Now they need to bring us the ideas and tell us what their needs are."

Some lobster fishermen and environmental groups worry placing turbines in the Bay of Fundy could alter habitat or harm some of the sea life that live in the area.

The Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia is part of this research partnership. Its executive director, Stephen Dempsey, said the labs at the Halifax campus offered a variety of advantages over conducting tests in the field — not the least of which is the cost of testing full-scale models or conducting on-site research.

"It could be as much as 10 per cent of the costs compared to on-water, which is much more costly, takes much more time, greater amount of risk," said Dempsey.

Although $150,000 is a modest amount of research money when you consider it may be shared by as many as five companies, Dempsey argued it would generate research worth much more to the industry.

"You could argue is equivalent to a million dollars, potentially, of work in the field."

The provincial government has also helped fund and create test berths for large-scale turbines, but the one turbine that was generating power has been out of the water for seven months.

According to Cape Sharp Tidal, the owners of that turbine, there are no plans yet to return it to the water. However, a new turbine currently in Saint John is expected to replace it this year.

"Our next deployment is anticipated for summer 2018," said company official Stacey Pineau in an email.

Energy Minister Geoff MacLellan called the potential of tidal power from the Bay of Fundy "unprecedented" but said the province wasn't interested in tapping into that potential without regard for the environment.

"We're not allowing the berth-holders to do anything haphazard in terms of getting out ahead of environmental protection," he said. "It's about doing it in a sustainable way that everyone wins."