The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world, and the Minas Passage alone carries an enormous flow of water with every tide. That makes it one of the planet's most promising tidal energy sites. It's also one of the toughest. Over four decades, Fundy has hosted a pioneering tidal power station, several turbine tests and some high-profile setbacks. As of early 2026, Nova Scotia is again moving forward, with new tidal licences and power contracts awarded at the province's test centre.
Key takeaways
- Fundy's tides can rise and fall by about 16 metres in the Minas Basin, driven by the bay's shape and natural resonance.
- The Annapolis Royal Generating Station operated from 1984 until 2019, when it shut down over fish mortality concerns and an equipment failure.
- The Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), established in 2009, hosts in-stream turbine testing in the Minas Passage.
- Past turbine projects faced harsh currents, financial trouble and regulatory hurdles.
- In late 2025, Nova Scotia awarded new tidal berths that bring planned capacity at FORCE to about 16.5 MW.
Why Fundy's tides are so extreme
Tides are driven by the Moon's and Sun's gravity, but local geography decides how big they get. The Bay of Fundy is long and funnel-shaped, and its natural sloshing period is close to the roughly 12.4-hour rhythm of the ocean tides. That near-resonance amplifies the tide, much like pushing a swing in time with its motion.
The narrow Minas Passage, between the main bay and the Minas Basin, squeezes this flow into fast currents that can exceed 5 metres per second (about 18 km/h). Fast, predictable currents are exactly what tidal turbines need. Our ocean energy overview explains how tidal, wave and other marine resources compare.
Chapter one: the Annapolis Royal station
The Annapolis Royal Generating Station opened in 1984 on the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia. It used a tidal barrage approach: water filled the basin behind a causeway at high tide, then flowed back out through a single large turbine, about 20 MW at peak, as the tide fell. For decades it was one of only a handful of tidal power plants in the world.
It also showed the drawbacks of barrages:
- Fish mortality. Fish passing through the turbine could be injured or killed. Federal scientific advice found substantial fish mortality.
- Ecosystem change. Altering tidal flow in an estuary affects sediment, shorelines and habitat.
- Aging equipment. A key component failed in 2019.
The station stopped generating in April 2019 and has not returned to service. The experience pushed developers toward in-stream turbines, which sit in the current without damming it.
Chapter two: testing turbines in the Minas Passage
FORCE was set up in 2009 as Canada's main tidal energy test site, with subsea cables connecting turbine berths in the Minas Passage to the Nova Scotia grid. Developers lease berths to test and demonstrate their technology while FORCE monitors fish, marine mammals and seabed effects.
What happened next was a mix of progress and hard lessons:
| Period | Development | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2015 | Early turbine deployments and environmental baseline studies | Some turbines damaged by extreme currents; valuable data gathered |
| 2016–2018 | Large seabed-mounted turbine deployed and connected to the grid | Generated power, but the turbine's supplier collapsed financially in 2018 |
| Late 2010s–2023 | Floating tidal platforms tested in Grand Passage and Minas Passage | Delivered power to the grid, but the developer withdrew in 2023, citing regulatory delays |
| 2025 | New provincial procurement for tidal berths at FORCE | New licences and power purchase agreements awarded |
The recurring challenges were the raw power of the currents, which can damage equipment and make installation difficult; high costs for first-of-a-kind projects; and environmental permitting, especially demonstrating effects on fish under federal fisheries rules.
Chapter three: where things stand now
In November 2025, Nova Scotia announced that Eauclaire Tidal, working with the Scottish turbine developer Orbital Marine Power, would receive licences and power purchase agreements with Nova Scotia Power for two more berths at FORCE, sized at 7.5 MW and 5 MW. Combined with the partnership's existing 4 MW berth, that brings planned capacity to about 16.5 MW. The plan calls for Orbital's floating turbines, which hold their rotors in the current from a moored hull. (See How Tidal Turbines Work for the design differences.)
As of early 2026, these turbines are still in development and not yet generating. Key steps ahead include financing, federal and provincial environmental approvals, and installation in one of the world's toughest marine environments. Follow our Nova Scotia guide for updates on the province's energy mix.
Environmental and community considerations
Tidal energy is predictable and emits no greenhouse gases in operation, but the Bay of Fundy is also a rich, sensitive ecosystem:
- Fish and marine mammals. Striped bass, Atlantic salmon, sturgeon, porpoises and whales use the area. Monitoring how animals interact with turbines is central to permitting.
- Fisheries. Commercial and Indigenous fishers depend on the bay, and their knowledge and concerns shape projects.
- Mi'kmaq rights and partnership. The Mi'kmaq have deep connections to these waters. Consultation and participation are essential to any project going forward.
- Adaptive management. Regulators increasingly favour staged deployments with monitoring and the ability to adjust or remove turbines if problems arise.
Why Fundy still matters
Fundy's theoretical tidal resource is vast, though only a fraction can be practically and responsibly extracted. Even modest arrays would add a source of clean power that, unlike solar and wind, can be predicted years in advance. That predictability makes tidal a useful complement to other renewables on the grid. Neighbouring New Brunswick also borders the bay, and lessons from Fundy feed into tidal projects worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
How high are the tides in the Bay of Fundy?
In the Minas Basin, the difference between high and low tide can reach about 16 metres, the highest in the world. Tidal ranges are smaller in other parts of the bay.
Is the Annapolis tidal station still running?
No. It stopped generating in April 2019 following fish mortality concerns and an equipment failure, and it hasn't returned to service.
Is tidal power currently supplying Nova Scotia's grid?
Not on a regular basis as of early 2026. Earlier test turbines delivered power intermittently, and the newly awarded projects at FORCE are still working toward deployment.
The bottom line
The Bay of Fundy has taught the world a great deal about tidal energy, from the limits of barrages to the difficulty of building turbines that survive extreme currents. The resource is still extraordinary and the latest projects show renewed momentum. Success will depend on reliable technology, careful environmental monitoring and real partnership with the communities and Nations who know the bay best.
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