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PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Projects/Dent Tidal Energy Project
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Dent Tidal Energy Project
In the fall of 2012, ecoEII awarded $300,000 to Water Wall Turbine (WWT) for a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study of a 500 kW floating tidal turbine power plant for Dent Island Lodge off the west coast of British Columbia – the Dent Island Tidal Power Generation Project. The FEED study enabled WWT to complete substantial work on the system design and site analysis. Credibility was gained with potential investors, as well as sub-contractors in the supply chain. The proponent, WWT was subsequently awarded $2,250K from CEF to complete the final design, construct and commission a tidal energy system for Dent Island Lodge. A remote “islanded” microgrid system was designed and developed to enable Dent Island to manage tidal generation, 500 kWh energy storage and emergency back-up diesel. Microgrid management uses energy storage to provide continuous power during slack tidal periods and facilitates the integration of multiple sources of power to provide for peak periods. A custom interface was developed between WWT’s microgrid management system and Tesla’s energy storage management system, as well as a specialty on-vessel current converter. The microgrid and energy storage systems were installed on Dent Island. In June 2016, the turbine vessel was towed along the Strait of Georgia to Dent Island. There, it was anchored in a narrow channel between the islands. A unique mooring and anchoring system had been developed to keep the turbine vessel at station under tremendous force - over 100 tonnes in alternating directions 4 times a day. Installation of the system required special improvised techniques to secure the anchor points during short 15 minute slag intervals between strong tidal currents (exceeding 10 knots). The turbine vessel was then connected via a 900-meter submarine cable running along the ocean floor to Dent Island’s microgrid and energy storage system. During the microgrid test and installation phases, real time performance data was collected. Net power production was delivered with limited turbine blades submersion. The short preliminary testing period was completed. Extrapolating both current speed and optimal blade submersion depth produces total power potential beyond initial expectations. Theoretical values will be confirmed once the turbine is returned to service in June 2017.
Additional Information
Project Status
Is the project actively being planned or is deployed in the water (active)? Or was the project canceled or completed (inactive)?
Active
Project Life Cycle
Project Progress through life cycle:
- Planned: Project has identified a deployment location and is preparing for deployment
- Operational: Project is deployed in the water and is active
- Completed: Project was previously deployed in the water
- Decommissioned: Installation has been fully removed in accordance with regulations
- Canceled: Project was canceled before being deployed in the water
Operational
Max Rated Power Capacity
The maximum amount of electricity that can be produced by project, based on available resources and device nameplate capacity.
0.5 MW
Operational Start Year
June 2016
Project Start Year
2012
Energy Resource
- Tidal
Project Scale
Full-scale
Number of Devices
1
Grid Connectivity
Grid Connected
Waterbody
Bute Inlet, British Columbia
Site Characteristics
Geographic characterization for the project location:
- Open Ocean: Main body of ocean, not enclosed or partially enclosed by land
- Coastal: Open water near the coast, spanning between land and shelf boundary
- Enclosed Bay: water that is partially surrounded by land, with a mouth open to larger water
- Constricted Channel: A channel where water flows quickly due to narrowing by the land
- River: Water flowing from land towards a larger body of water
Constricted Channel
Country
Canada
Last Modified
10 June 2025
This Project has the following MRE Devices
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Citation Formats
“Dent Tidal Energy Project.” Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects, PRIMRE, United States Department of Energy, https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Dent_Tidal_Energy_Project. Accessed <day> <monthRoman> <year>.
Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects. <year>. "Dent Tidal Energy Project." Accessed <monthRoman> <day>, <year>. https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Dent_Tidal_Energy_Project.
