The Nova Scotia Department of Energy has launched a tender for the feasibility study of a shared-use submersible barge or drydock for tidal turbine deployment and retrieval.
The tender seeks to determine if there is an economic justification to proceed with the detailed design of drydock or barge.
Participants are expected to outline the basic design and essential operational features that would result in tidal project cost savings and describe ownership, operating and cost models.
“Recent studies suggest that a large, shared use submersible barge/drydock for turbine transport from the manufacturing site in Nova Scotia, and possibly deployment/retrieval might reduce operational costs, leading to more rapid tidal project implementation,” said contracting organization Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia.
“A common use barge shared by different project developers for turbine transport may provide other services as well, such as facilitating device inspections and cable connections, and might possibly be useful to other marine industries like aquaculture.”
The request for proposals due date is 5 March with the winner to be selected within two weeks.
The project will kick off by April with completion by 30 June.
Image: Bay of Fundy (Province of Nova Scotia)
Nova Scotia mulls tidal drydock
By EBS