Canada has made significant commitments to clean energy. From wind farms stretching across the prairies to solar installations climbing rooftops in Ontario, the country’s renewable landscape is growing. But as that growth accelerates, a quiet challenge is emerging: clean energy that is abundant is not always available when and where it is needed most.
The reason is straightforward. Wind and solar, while transformative technologies, are intermittent by nature. The sun sets. The wind stills. In early November 2024, a prolonged period of calm, overcast weather settled over Central Europe, and Germany’s wind turbines and solar panels generated only about 30 percent of the country’s electricity needs for days at a time, with fossil fuel plants and energy imports covering the gap. Analysts have noted that episodes like this – sometimes called “dunkelflaute” – underscore a structural vulnerability in grids that rely too heavily on weather-dependent generation.
Canada is not immune to this dynamic. As the country expands its renewable portfolio, grid planners face the same question: what generates clean electricity when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing? The answer, increasingly, points toward tidal energy.
That observation, drawn from research on variable renewable energy systems, reflects something fundamental about tides. Unlike the weather, tides are governed by the gravitational relationship between the Earth, the moon, and the sun. They follow a predictable cycle that can be calculated years in advance. They do not vary with seasons in the same way that solar output does, and they do not depend on atmospheric conditions the way wind does. Operators know, with genuine certainty, when tidal power will be available.
The Predictability Advantage
In energy planning, predictability has real value. When a grid operator knows that tidal generation will produce power at a given site at a given time, that output can be scheduled, balanced, and relied upon. This is not possible with weather-dependent sources in the same way.
A study published in EE Power found that adding tidal power to an energy mix that already includes solar and offshore wind is roughly 25 percent more effective at balancing supply and demand than relying on those two sources alone. The research also found that tidal integration can reduce the land and sea space required for power generation by around one third, as tidal systems operate largely underwater and out of sight.
Researchers and energy specialists have been direct about what this means. As one specialist adviser to the Institution of Civil Engineers, quoted in Inc. Magazine, put it: to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, we need a more diverse mix of renewable sources, because sometimes the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine.
That quote, from a tidal energy developer speaking to Inc. Magazine, captures why tidal power matters for the future of clean grids. It also explains why tidal is increasingly described not as a competitor to wind and solar, but as a complement to them.
Canada’s Tidal Opportunity Is Exceptional
Canada is home to some of the most powerful tidal resources on the planet. The Bay of Fundy, shared between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, experiences the highest tidal range in the world, with water levels rising and falling by up to 16 metres with each tide. Marine Renewables Canada estimates the Minas Passage alone holds 2,500 megawatts of extractable tidal power potential. By 2050, the International Energy Agency’s Ocean Energy Systems programme projects 300 gigawatts of wave and tidal capacity could be developed globally, generating 680,000 jobs and avoiding 500 million tonnes of CO2.
For Canada, the timing is meaningful. The country already has the research infrastructure, the world’s premier tidal test site at FORCE in Minas Passage, and a growing regulatory framework. The ingredients for a responsible, phased tidal industry are in place.
What FM Hydro Is Working Toward
At FM Hydro, we are focused on building a tidal system that is practical and deployable. Our Archimedes screw turbine is designed to generate clean, predictable electricity from tidal and river currents. It is built with ecological compatibility as a core feature, not an afterthought, using slow-turning, fish-friendly screw geometry designed to support safe passage for aquatic life.
We do not overstate where we are in the journey. We are advancing through testing, validation, and engagement with regulators, communities, and scientists. What we do know is that tidal energy’s core advantage, its predictability, addresses one of the genuine challenges facing clean energy grids. And our technology is engineered for scalability, with responsibility built into every stage of development.
The missing piece in Canada’s clean grid is power that is both renewable and reliable. Tidal energy provides predictable renewable generation that can complement Canada’s clean grid. We are committed to being part of making it real.
To learn more about our work and technology, visit us at https://fmhydro.com/how-it-works/
References
- Earth.org (2024). Can Renewable Energy Be Both Clean and Reliable? https://earth.org/can-renewable-energy-be-both-clean-and-reliable/
- Inc. Magazine (2024). Tidal Power Is More Reliable Than Solar. Why Aren’t We Using It? https://www.inc.com/chris-stokel-walker/tidal-power-is-more-reliable-than-solar-why-arent-we-using-it/91184253/
- EE Power (2024). Impacts of Tidal Power as a Complement to Solar, Wind https://eepower.com/tech-insights/impacts-of-tidal-power-as-a-complement-to-solar-win/
- Marine Renewables Canada (2024). Tidal Energy Facts https://marinerenewables.ca/facts/tidal-energy/
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) (2023). Tidal Energy Explainer https://www.pnnl.gov/explainer-articles/tidal-energy
- Wikipedia (2024). Variable Renewable Energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_renewable_energy
