AECOM was selected by the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) to provide support on the Tidal Energy Demonstration Facility, located in the Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. The facility includes the construction, installation, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning of three subsea turbine generators, subsea cables, onshore transformer substation, and buried power lines connecting the demonstration facility to the local power distribution system. The project allows for the testing and demonstration of Tidal In-stream Energy Conversion (TISEC) technology. The maximum combined electricity output of the three TISEC turbine devices is approximately 4.4 megawatts (MW).
AECOM is providing environmental support including:
- Project scoping and strategic planning
- Regulatory and public pre-engagement
- Environmental assessment (EA) management, and preparation of the joint federal/provincial EA Report
- Preparation of project permit and approval applications
- Public and agency consultation and First Nation engagement in support of the EA
- Preparation of project-specific environmental management plan (EMP) / environmental effects monitoring plan (EEMP).
AECOM is also working to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of environmental assessment approval. This includes the establishment of a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) and Environmental Monitoring Advisory Committee (EMAC) on behalf of FORCE. Working in this capacity, AECOM guides discussions with local fishers, manages data collection and monitoring studies, and reports to FORCE and the regulatory agencies on FORCE’s behalf. AECOM is also supervising the environmental aspects of terrestrial construction, including bringing the electrical cables across a salt marsh and ensuring erosion control measures are effective.