Project Manager
PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Projects/Fort Simpson
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Fort Simpson
An EnCurrent (first generation) 25 kW Low Flow system, purchased by Northwest Territories Power Corp. (NTPC), went online on the Mackenzie River in Fort Simpson, NT on June 19, 2010. This project served as a pilot project to prove the technology for use in the northern market. There were candidate sites on the Liard River that offered higher flow velocities and less tendency for debris but it was decided to locate the system adjacent to a power station operated by NT Power. The system had 2.4 m/s design rating but demonstrated the ability to generate power in water velocities in the 1.15 m/s range. In this location, the river freezes in the winter and the system is designed for decommissioning, removal and storage until it is scheduled for redeployed following the spring thaw. In the second year of operation, and with the benefit of New Energy’s training and certification program, the system was redeployed and commissioned in one day. This highlights both New Energy’s end-user training program and the rapid deployment capabilities of the system design.
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)?
Inactive
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
Completed
Max Rated Power Capacity
The maximum amount of electricity that can be produced by project, based on available resources and device nameplate capacity.
0.025 MW
Operational Duration
June 2010 - 2011
Project Duration
2010 - 2011
Energy Resource
- Tidal
Project Scale
Full-scale
Number of Devices
1
Waterbody
Mackenzie River
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
River
Country
Canada
Last Modified
10 June 2025
Citation Formats
“Fort Simpson.” Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects, PRIMRE, United States Department of Energy, https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Fort_Simpson. Accessed <day> <monthRoman> <year>.
Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects. <year>. "Fort Simpson." Accessed <monthRoman> <day>, <year>. https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Fort_Simpson.
