Assessment of hydrodynamic impacts from tidal power lagoons in the Bay of Fundy

Abstract

The Bay of Fundy located in eastern Canada is home to some of the world’s largest tides. Currently there is renewed interest in harnessing these very large tides for power generation in ways that avoid upsetting ecosystems, infrastructure and human activities that are presently well adapted to existing conditions. This paper investigates the hydrodynamic impacts due to tidal power lagoons, an approach to power generation that involves temporarily storing seawater behind a circular engineered dyke and generating power by gradually releasing the impounded seawater through conventional low-head hydroelectric turbines. This paper describes a study in which a two-dimensional, depth-averaged hydrodynamic model based on the TELEMAC modelling system was developed, calibrated, and applied to analyze, predict, and quantify the potential changes in tidal hydrodynamics (water levels, tide range, circulation patterns and tidal currents) throughout the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine due to the presence of a single tidal lagoon and multiple lagoons operating at various locations in the upper Bay of Fundy. The sensitivity of the hydrodynamic impacts to changes in lagoon type, size, location, the number of lagoons, and their operating mode have also been investigated. The methods employed in this study and the main findings are presented and discussed herein. These results will help inform future decisions concerning development of the vast tidal energy resources in the Bay of Fundy.