On July 24, 2006 the drilling took place throughout the day, with ever-increasing wind speed. The following pictures were captured from the remote Camera 5 on Race Rocks.
The configuration of the rocks in several stone mounds at Race Rocks are suggestive of First Nations use of this area for burials in the period AD 500. Investigation into sites on the lower part of Vancouver Island, have shown that over 400 such sites exist on the nearby Rocky Point area.
These sites have recently been the subject of a Master’s thesis by Darcy Mathews of the Anthropology Department, University of Victoria.
Darcy Matthews visited today to document these cairns.
For the complete reference to this topic go to http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/firstnations/burialmound/burialmound.htm
The Philadelphia Inquirer Monday April 4 2006 Note the webcams at race Rocks are listed in the listing of webcams on the last page
Complete Video Coverage of the Announcement at Pearson College
TV and Print Media Coverage of the event.
Press Release : CANA PARTNERS TO ENABLE PEARSON COLLEGE – ENCANA – CLEAN CURRENT TIDAL POWER DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT RACE ROCKS, BC Victoria
– Thanks to an innovative partnership between Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, EnCana Corporation and Clean Current Power Systems Incorporated, Canada’s first free-stream tidal power project will be built at the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, offshore of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The project will enable the world famous marine park to tap into surrounding ocean currents and convert tidal energy to electric power for its needs beginning in early 2006. Making the announcement were:
Gwyn Morgan, President and CEO of EnCana,
Glen Darou, President and CEO of Clean Current,
Richard Neufeld, British Columbia Minister of Energy and Mines,
and Stuart Walker, Director of Pearson College.
Gwyn Morgan
Officially known as the “Pearson College – EnCana – Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks,” the project is enabled by a $3-million investment from the EnCana Environmental Innovation Fund. “EnCana is pleased to be a partner in this first-class, alternative energy project,” said Morgan. “Our investment in this B.C.-based unconventional environmental and power technology reflectsour desire to tangibly encourage innovative energy solutions.” EnCana’s Environmental Innovation Fund was established to advance new technologies and solutions that improve environmental performance associated with consuming and producing energy. Commercial proceeds from financed projects will be re-invested into the fund to ensure their sustainability.
Richard Neufeld
“The commitment by Premier Campbell in promoting alternative energy sources has helped British Columbia become a world leader in sustainable environmental management,” said Neufeld. “The province commends projects like this one, as they show our commitment to developing clean energy solutions that will benefit all British Columbians.” The multi-year demonstration project will involve the installation, operation and monitoring of a 65kW free-stream tidal turbine generator in the water near Race Rocks, a provincial ecological reserve located 10 nautical miles southwest of Victoria.
Glen Darou
Clean Current is a private British Columbia-based company that designs and licenses technology that efficiently converts the energy of tidal currents into electricity. Clean Current’s proprietary technology consists of a horizontal-axis ducted turbine with a direct-drive variable speed permanent magnet generator. The turbine generator is equally efficient in both directions as the tidal currents reverse twice each day. “This Canadian technology is simple, efficient and environmentally friendly,” said Darou. “We believe it is highly exportable technology, with strong potential to succeed in international settings. Our company is delighted to have the support of EnCana, Pearson College, and technical partners AMEC, Powertech Labs Inc. and Triton Consultants Ltd.”
Pearson College, one of ten United World Colleges worldwide, is the custodian of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, located three nautical miles from campus. Diesel-powered generators currently provide electricity requirements at the reserve. Students and staff will work elements of the tidal power demonstration project into their studies. “This is a terrific project for Pearson College, in that it supports our goal of making the ecological reserve a showcase for alternative, low-impact technologies such as tidal power,” said Walker. “We would like to thank Clean Current for their commitment to developing the technology and EnCana for the financial support that is making this demonstration project possible.”
Second Year Pearson College student Alyssa Holland (year 30) concluded the presentation , by thanking the speakers. As a student involved in Environmental Systems and the diving program, she shared the enthusiasm she has for the resources of the area and emphasized the great importance she and other students attach to the effort of those involved in this project in the ongoing goal of producing energy sustainably.
Dave Skilling
Communications Coordinator
Lester B. Pearson College
250-391-2479
www.pearsoncollege.ca
www.racerocks.ca
This file provides information on the process used to ensure environmental protection of the Ecological Reserve with the installation of the tidal current generator at Race Rocks.
BACKGROUND REFERENCES:
Contents:
BACKGROUND REFERENCES: See Below
1.Permit Application for Research on the Ecological Reserve 2004
2. Appendix A– Energy at Race Rocks : The problems and Solutions:
3. Environmental Impact of Tidal Current Energy Generation on Marine Mammals: Addendum to Clean Current Permit Application: Garry Fletcher.
4. References on the effects of Tidal Energy Generation on Marine Life:
5. Information for the Race Rocks Advisory Board on Alternate Energy Developments In the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve: 2004.
6.Outline of Expectations for a Baseline Study and Follow-up monitoring of the Current Energy Project at Race Rocks:
7. Video of the type of organisms that grow in the area of the turbine site.
8. Pam and Jason of Archipelago Marine Document life forms along the cable path.
9. Video of impact of Concrete Anchor Placement for the Tidal Energy Project
10. Environmental Monitoring at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve related to the Pearson College-Encana-Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project by Pam Thuringer of Archipelago Marine, 2006.
11. Environmental Impact of the Diesel Energy Power generation System at Race Rocks
12. Preliminary Environmental Screening for: range Expansion of generator shed for battery storage
:13. Preliminary Environmental Screening for: Installation of Electrical Cable and Conduits at Race Rocks
14. Preliminary Environmental Screening for: Installation of the Piling for the tidal energy generator:.https://www.racerocks.ca/bc-parks-impact-assessment-process/ Continue reading
Observation of the scenes on the cameras often yield some interesting and varied scenes. Feel free to add to this collection of the screen shots from the video cameras. e-mail : Garry Fletcher (garryf(use the @ sign)gmail.com See further directions on this .
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| Great Race Sector Image Map. Click on the red-outlined polygons to identify the views from camera 5. | Race Rocks Islands and Race Passage Sector Image Map. Click on the red-outlined polygons to identify the outer islands views from camera 5 |
| Return to the Assignment on Horizontal Structure |
| Return to the OceanQuest Index |
FIle No: 85700-35-0210206
Name of Action: Construction and Pile Drilling for Current Turbine Project
Proponent: Lester B Pearson College
Review Date(s): Nov 2, 2005
2 Identify any geographic “hotspots” at or close to the proposed action (e.g., areas of high use, concentrations of facilities, wilderness conservation zones, unique landscape features).
Below are the relevant items that we are contributing to this Preliminary Assessment, the third in a series leading up to this project. If further items are provided in the next few weeks, they will be updated here:
Location: The proposed location of the Tidal Current Generator Piling for the Cradle is shown below. This site was chosen after extensive testing of the current profiles in both channels with the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler.
The red lines indicate the Pearson College permit access area..
3. Identify any important environmental, recreational, social or economic values in the area of the proposed action and/or the area surrounding the proposed action (e.g., rare or endangered species, hiking experience, midden site). Include a rationale as to why the value is considered important.
The location for the installation is in the current channel just South of North Rock, with the typical associations of organisms of the highly current swept areas of the island. Since the depth is up to 20 meters, there are few macroalgae present.
Archipelago marine has done a SIMS towed video CD . The route they took and the timing of the footage was done according to this Chart. Video taken by Pam Thuringer in the area of the chart missed by the towed video is now available from Archipelago marine
Some footage taken by the Pearson College Divers which shows the bottom fauna in the area of the turbine piling is located here:
In order to predict the best location for the installation of the tidal power generator, an ADCP ( Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) supplied by ASL Environmental Sciences was deployed. This instrument will collect current regime information for a period of one month. Rita Santos did the video and Angie Karlsen helped Chris Blondeau lift and position the concrete weights used to secure the device on the sea floor..
For an idea of the general patterns of organism distribution, the two clips below were taken from the video which was filmed at the location of the ADCP research at Station2:
| Preliminary Screen Checklist (partial)
C. Level 1 report should recommend appropriate times and methods for construction to ensure birds /wildlifeimpacts are kept to a minimum. Date of work: The installation in November is timed after the nesting and seal pupping season and in the time of the year when the Sea Lions have returned but are concentrated in the area to the East of the docks, on South Rock and on Middle and West Island. The closest population that may be disturbed by the drilling is on North Rock, and part of Middle Rock. In the past that population frequently comes and goes probably because of the fall schedule of blasting by DND . |
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| Construction Method: We have been advised that a contract has been let by Clean Current for the drilling and installation of the piling to bear the generator to:
Fraser River Pile & Dredge Ltd. (FRPD) 1830 River DriveNew Westminster, B.C. V3M 2A8 Tel: (604) 528-9333 (Project manager Rick Gillis) The attached .pdf file.. Construction Drilling provides the details of this phase of the project. The amount of oil consumed in the drilling operation is approximately 5 gallons /hr. For a drilling depth of 8 m, the operation should take 4-5 hours. The drilling operation will not produce an oil slick. In the event of a spill FRPD, will employ their standard method of deploying containment booms and pads to contain the oil. Due to the challenging conditions in this area, FRPD will have additional booms and pads on board. |
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| Equipment Island Tug operates a large fleet of tugs and barges including one self-propelled cable layer. The principal method of cable handling utilizes one of two powered self-breaking drums. Reel number 1 has a capacity for 80,000 feet of 2-inch diameter cable with a break holding capacity of 200 tons. Reel number 2 has a capacity for 30,000 feet of 2-inch diameter cable with a break holding capacity of 100 tons. Procedure of Cable Laying – General Reel number 2 is mounted aboard the cable layer, Georgia Transporter. Cable is transferred from shore storage reels to the ship-mounted reel and transported to the site. Cable is taken ashore at the cable shore-end via a bow mounted adjustable ramp. A bow mounted cable chute is used to deploy the cable while the Georgia Transporter is towed astern. Two GPS systems monitor the surface position and provide feedback via digital charts. Track corrections are implemented through a variety of methods using the Ship’s power, directing the towing vessel or employing side boats. For shallow water lays, the cable tension is not monitored by equipment but by the angle off the bow, with lay and reel speeds corrected as necessary. For deep-water lays, the cable tension is monitored with on deck tension monitoring equipment such as linear tension devices or load cells. Cable weights and water depth information are pre plotted along a planned track in order to adjust for the intended tension at given positions. Reel number 1 is mounted aboard one of Island’s flat deck barges and used in the same manner as the description above, with the exception that the barge will start and finish on four point moorings. Island Tug And Barge Ltd. |
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Piling Construction:
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