Canada's First Offshore Wind Farm

Nova Scotia is making bold moves toward a renewable future by planning some of the largest offshore wind farms in the world, capitalizing on some of the planet’s strongest and most consistent wind speeds. Construction has not started yet, but they have just opened the bids for the plots where the farms will be built. Are offshore wind farms the future of renewable energy, and what could this mean for Canadians? That is what I will be covering in this blog.

Offshore wind turbines generate electricity the exact same way onshore does: wind turns the blades, which in turn turns a shaft that generates electricity in the generator. Additionally, offshore wind has the benefit that there are no obstructions at sea, resulting in wind speeds that are faster on average. They do differ in two key ways, though. Offshore wind turbines are about 10 meters taller on average, standing at 100 meters tall, and this is because it is much easier to transport the turbines over the sea. The height is projected to increase to 150 meters by 2035; the other difference is the foundation. Foundations for offshore wind have typically been fixed-bottom monopile, which means you just drive the pile into the ocean floor, and that supports the wind turbine. There is interest from companies that want to implement a floating design that is anchored to the ocean floor, but this technology has not yet been implemented on a large scale.

The project also has massive economic potential. Nova Scotia is aiming to have 5 GW of electricity production from these offshore wind farms by 2030, and this will not only provide cheap electricity for Nova Scotia and other provinces but will also allow Nova Scotia to meet its goal of having 80% renewable energy by 2030. A significant number of new jobs will be generated as well, the construction of the wind farm will require tons of materials, boosting those industries, and the construction and continued maintenance would add thousands of more jobs. The challenges remain the same. Will the electrical grid be able to carry all this electricity with the province or will upgrades be required, only time will tell.

Although Nova Scotia is positioned particularly well to take advantage of this world class opportunity to make Canada a more sustainable country and offshore wind has the potential to become a cornerstone of Canadian energy the challenges remain the same. Will the electrical grid be able to carry all this electricity with the province or will upgrades be required, only time will tell. You too can play your own role in making Canada more sustainable by considering our Anorra towers and turbines.