BMT to lead Ocean Energy Smart Grid Integration Project in Canada

The project will commercialize the integration of ocean energy solutions to help reduce the dependence of diesel power generation in rural communities and increase the opportunity for use of renewable sources of energy.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster has announced four new projects with a total value of $4.5 million from its Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program (AOSP) stream including the Ocean Energy Smart Grid Integration Project. This Ontario-led project brings together SMEs and other partners in ocean innovation to provide cost-effective integration of ocean energy generators into communities.

With a total project value of $975,000, the Ocean Supercluster will provide $633,750 in funding for the project, with $341,250 coming from industry partners. The Ocean Energy Smart Grid Integration Project is led by BMT partnered with Sustainable Marine, University of Victoria, Rainhouse, and Turtle Island Innovation and together they will commercialize the integration of ocean energy solutions to help reduce the dependence of diesel power generation in rural communities and increase the opportunity for use of renewable sources of energy. 

Darcy Byrtus, President of BMT in Canada, said:

"We are excited to partner with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and our teammates at Sustainable Marine to further the development of a smart electrical grid solution for remote communities using ocean energy generators. The Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program of the Ocean Supercluster is providing a unique opportunity to advance a truly innovative system that we believe has the potential to transform energy distribution in remote coastal communities."

The Ocean Energy Smart Grid Integration Project will develop a single controller that has algorithms for different communities, whereas currently there is a bespoke design for each community. With this solution, algorithms are selected and parameterized based on ratings of the equipment. The development of this technology will not only support the greening of energy for communities of all sizes with global market opportunity, but it will also create new economic activity, build capabilities in ocean energy smart grid integration, and create five new jobs.

The International Energy Agency’s Technology Collaboration Programme on Ocean Energy Systems (OES) recently released a report called Ocean Energy in Islands and Remote Coastal Areas, which highlights the market opportunity for ocean energy technologies in remote areas due to the high cost of electricity, as is it is often supplied by diesel generators, and where the electricity demand is small, infrastructure such as submarine cables to connect to utility networks cannot be economically justified.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is an industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling the shared challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally-relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. To encourage innovation and trigger new industry investment during these challenging times, the Ocean Supercluster supplemented its core programs with an additional project stream called Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program (AOSP). This enables the development of smaller projects on a shorter timeline that deliver tangible outcomes, while continuing to build resiliency in our ocean sectors.

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said:

“The projects we are funding under the Ocean Supercluster will play a vital role in Canada’s emerging blue economy.  Improving underwater imaging and offshore infrastructure inspections will allow us to grow our marine industries more safely and sustainably. Our government will continue to invest in ocean science and technology, so we can get more Canadians working on and in our oceans.”

Jason Hayman, CEO of Sustainable Marine, said:

“This technology partnership has the potential to address energy challenges experienced by remote and island communities in Canada, and around the world. These challenges include economic vulnerability due to the volatility of fuel prices, a lack of supplier diversity, higher likelihoods of disruption, and high carbon footprints. The team at Sustainable Marine have demonstrated that we can produce clean and predictable power from tidal streams, and we are looking forward to working with BMT and the rest of team to turn the power we produce into dispatchable power that can displace fossil fuel generation for island and remote coastal communities.”