LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - A pilot project to test the design and functionality of an in-stream hydro-kinetic turbine was a learning experience for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

The turbine, the first of its kind to be used in the territory, was installed in the Mackenzie River at Fort Simpson on June 18. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation was tasked with carrying out the pilot project as part of the territorial government's energy priorities framework to explore renewable and alternative energy sources and the reduction of imported diesel fuel.

Installing and removing in-stream hydro-kinetic turbines is quite complex and requires heavy equipment smaller communities may not have. That was one of the lessons learned through a pilot project conducted in the Mackenzie River at Fort Simpson this year. - NNSL file photo

"We did learn a lot of things from running the project this year," said Eileen Hendry, the corporation's acting co-ordinator of business and energy development.

Debris in the river provided one of the first lessons. Despite being guarded by a deflector boom a log hit the turbine on June 30 putting it out of commission until the end of August. The turbine's manufacturer, New Energy Corporation of Calgary, had to redesign some of the turbine's parts to help prevent a similar incident from occurring again. The company is now looking at different options for keeping debris out, Hendry said.

Problems with debris aren't unique to the Mackenzie River. The corporation is sharing its results from the project with the Alaska Power and Telephone Company, which tested a turbine at Eagle, Alaska this summer. The turbine in Alaska also had trouble with debris, Hendry said.

Lessons have also been taken on the importance of choosing the right site for a turbine.

Low water levels in the Mackenzie River over the testing period led to low flow rates that in turn affected the amount of power the turbine produced.

"It was definitely lower than we had been hoping for," she said.

During the highest point in the spring the corporation had hoped to generate 18 kilowatts per hour. Instead the turbine averaged between two to six kilowatts per hour, approximately enough to power three to four houses.

The generated power, however, matched the amount New Energy said would be produced based on the river's flow rate showing the turbine works as advertised, Hendry said.

Overall the pilot project showed the technology is still in the early stages of development and there are issues to be addressed before it is deployed on a widespread basis, she said.

The pilot project cost $275,000 and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment will decide how to proceed with the project based on a final report from the power corp.

No decisions have been made yet but the turbine, which was removed from the river on Oct. 14, may not be returning to Fort Simpson next year, said Dave Nightingale, the department's director of energy planning.

Alternative sites better suited for the turbine might be considered, Nightingale said. One possibility is the ferry camp at N'Dulle.

Because in-stream hydro-kinetic turbines are an emerging technology deciding their place in the territory's electricity system will be a long process, Nightingale said.

The turbine in the project had a maximum capacity of 25 kilowatts but a company in Montreal recently installed a 250 kilowatt turbine on the bottom of the St. Lawrence River.

The department will be looking at the new turbine as well as working on the technical problems encountered this year, he said. The department will continue to pursue turbine power with the goal of decreasing the need for imported diesel

"I think the technology will progress over the years. We're learning right now," Nightingale said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.