BRTP Hires Molloy as General Manager
Dr. Sue Molly (Photo: BRTP)
Black Rock Tidal Power (BRTP), a SCHOTTEL HYDRO company, said it continues to honor its commitment to hire local as Dr. Sue Molloy has been brought on board as General Manager to guide the company as it grows from its first project with the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) to be a leader in Canadian tidal power.
Molloy, who received her doctorate in Naval Architectural and Ocean Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a Canadian expert in tidal power representing Canada on a number of standards and research committees.
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Jensen, CEO of SCHOTTEL HYDRO, said, “When Black Rock Tidal Power was established, we publicly stated our commitment to have a strong local presence, to hire employees from the community, and to work with Nova Scotia firms. I’m proud to say we are delivering on that commitment.”
The company is showcasing its technology at FORCE, Canada’s research center for in-stream tidal energy located in the Bay of Fundy. BRTP has contracted local Marine Engineering firm Allswater Marine to complete detailed design work of its TRITON tidal power platform. At present, it is investigating site conditions in the area to identify levels of flow and turbulence in locations where turbines will be positioned. BRTP is also engaged in modeling and simulation work to better understand the geology of the area. Local companies actively involved in these initiatives include Seaforth Geosurveys, Dynamic Systems Analysis as well as Canadian industry association Marine Renewables Canada.
“Thanks to Nova Scotia companies like these, plans are on track to meet our goal to supply power in late 2016,” Dr. Molloy said. “Our success is founded on building local relationships.”
Most of the existing tidal current energy systems deployed to date are single turbines designed to rest on the seabed. The single-turbine approach requires enormous machines to operate. This, in turn, requires significant capital to create, transport and maintain the turbines. Black Rock Tidal Power is directly addressing these cost drivers with a unique semi-submerged TRITON platform. The floating platform freely rotates to the ocean flow and is equipped with inexpensive small and robust SCHOTTEL Instream Turbines (SIT).
February 2024
