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Big River Services Centre LP says it is hoping to become the first company in the NWT to achieve zero-carbon status using hydrokinetic technology.
In a Monday news release, Big River said it has received $353,710 in federal funding for a study on the Mackenzie River’s potential to generate energy using an in-stream turbine.
The company said the study is set to begin in July and will be led by the Canadian Hydrokinetic Turbine Testing Centre, or CHTTC, a non-profit research institute associated with the University of Manitoba.
Hydrokinetic technologies produce renewable energy by harvesting the kinetic energy of water or the energy that results from its motion.
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Big River said while the technology is in its early stages, CTHHC has installed a turbine on the Winnipeg River which can operate year-round, including under the ice.
The company said as part of the study, researchers will measure Mackenzie River flows in Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Wrigley and Jean Marie River. Community consultations are expected to begin soon.
The research project will also include an energy study on the impact of a micro-grid on Fort Province’s energy load.
Big River said federal funding will help to hire four local interns. The intern study program will include course work and a visit to see CHTTC’s turbine in operation in Winnipeg.
Big River is primarily owned by the Fort Providence Métis Council. It owns a service centre, which includes a gas station, store and restaurant, in Fort Providence on Highway 3.
