Two mounted ocean-powered turbines are generating electricity in Nova Scotia, Canada, using VesconiteHilube plates that make up large bushings.
The ocean-powered turbines went live in November 2016, and their installation is seen as a trial of future current-powered farms that could comprise of 30 turbines.
Located in Fundy Bay, the ocean-powered turbines are expected to utilise the continuous directed streams of seawater that circulate through the oceans to generate electricity.
The 300-t steel assembly forms an open-ended turbine and has a simple lubricant-free design with no seals or gearbox, so as to reduce maintenance requirements.
“The turbines are fitted with large-diameter VesconiteHilube bushings,” says Vesconite Bearings renewable-energy bushings consultant Eddie Swanepoel.
“They are included on the outer plate that connects to the blades, which will rotate with current movements,” he notes.
The trial ocean energy-generating project will see the two turbines generating 2MW each.
This generating capacity, as well as future generating capacity in the region, is seen as an important contributor to the economy of Nova Scotia.
The government has committed to approving a 300MW farm of ocean-energy turbines.
It also hopes that the industry will create 22,000 jobs and contribute up to USD1.7bn to the regional GDP by 2040.
The project is understood to be the first ocean-powered project that is connected to the grid in Nova Scotia, which has a well developed policy and planning framework for growing the ocean-energy industry in the region.