Canada’s marine renewable energy sector has taken an industrial approach to the development of technologies and expertise. Internationally, Canada is recognized for its abundant wave, tidal and river-current resources; the sector’s goals are to realize the economic opportunities inherent in these resources, to add diversity to Canada’s electricity portfolio, and to become a leading player in marine renewable energy on the global stage.
Canada is rated third in the world for the number of in-stream tidal and wave energy conversion device developers [Khan, 2009] and is considered to be well along the path to the demonstration of grid-connected marine energy converters. Emerging policy and regulatory initiatives are developing the permitting approaches and supportive markets required by pioneer projects. Canada’s shared infrastructure is also well advanced: the world’s highest capacity, grid-connected, technology-demonstration centre is located in the Bay of Fundy; strategic research collaboratives exist on both coasts; and world-leading Canadian technology is on track for commercial-scale testing.
With the conviction that policy, regulatory and industrial interest will continue to increase, the Marine Renewable Energy Technology Roadmap Steering Committee asked more than 100 sector participants to provide their insights on how to chart Canada’s marine renewable energy technology-development strategy.
