The Canadian government has announced a commitment of $100 million for the development of an offshore wind energy project in Nova Scotia that has the potential to power homes and businesses across Ontario, Quebec, and New England. Named Wind West, the project is part of the Atlantic Energy Strategy, which has been referred to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office and could be Canada’s first offshore wind project.
The funds will be used to collect data about wind speeds and ocean surface conditions, setting the stage for additional research related to the conditions of the ocean floor, which are set to commence next year.
About $5 million will be used to deploy a network of floating light detection and ranging (LiDAR) buoys to measure wind speeds and ocean conditions, while an additional $3 million will support modelling activities such as plans for transmission lines, as well as underwater surveys for potential cable routing. The remaining funds will go toward subsea drilling to better understand the sea floor conditions.
If approved, the first phase of the project, valued at around $60 billion, could generate five gigawatts of electricity, doing so as soon as 2033. Nova Scotia requires only 2.4 gigawatts to supply the entire province. Close to $40 billion of the first phase spend is slated for turbine infrastructure, while $20 billion is targeted for transmission projects.
“Even at this level of ambition, the project could provide electricity for up to 1.5 million homes here in Canada,” Federal Energy Minister, Tim Hodgson, said during a news conference at Halifax harbour. “That’s three times the number of homes in Nova Scotia and creates an incredible export opportunity for Nova Scotian Power.”
The goal of this investment is to provide information upfront to improve the quality of bids, giving potential project partners valuable information about the subsea and what it will cost to bring the project to life. Nova Scotia Premier, Tim Houston, said the funding will reduce development timelines by at least a year.
If all phases of the project come to fruition, Wind West could generate upwards of 60 gigawatts of electricity. The excess electricity produced could be used to supply 27 percent of Canada’s total energy demand.
