HALIFAX -- The need for more consultation and permits has temporarily pulled the plug on plans to install the first of two towering turbines designed by Cape Sharp Tidal to harness the power of the Bay of Fundy.
One of the five-storey high turbines was scheduled to leave Pictou, N.S., this weekend to be taken by barge around the province to a test location in the Minas Basin near Parrsboro.
However, Nova Scotia Environment Minister Margaret Miller says the province has yet to approve a proposed environmental effects monitoring program.
"They're awaiting for us to look over that. We're working with our partners at DFO, and when we have all the information we'll be able to make a judgement call on that environmental approval," Miller said in an interview.
Miller said there's no timeline for making that happen.
"The department has to be satisfied. We may require more information, we may not," she said.
The project has faced strong opposition from members of the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen's Association, who contend that instream tidal turbines can't be made safe for the ecosystem.
Spokesman Colin Sproul said the temporary delay is good news, but fishermen want their demands met.
"That the province put a halt to this installation, remove existing equipment from the Minas Passage and elsewhere in the Bay of Fundy and do an accurate baseline study which has independent oversight from DFO," he said.
In a statement, Sarah Dawson of Cape Sharp Tidal said they've delayed the first deployment to consult further with various stakeholders who feel they haven't been heard.
"Despite our best efforts, there are some who feel they have not had the opportunity to be fully heard. This is not acceptable to us and it's not how we conduct business," she wrote.
"So we've decided to take a pause ahead of the first deployment, to sit down with those who feel they have not had an opportunity to be fully heard, and to hear what they have to say."
Cape Sharp's turbines are expected to generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
They are one of a number of companies who plan to test different turbine technology in the Bay of Fundy.
By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton
