Offshore Wind Resources

Offshore wind energy refers to generating electricity using wind turbines in bodies of water. Offshore winds are faster and more constant than onshore winds. Because of this, offshore wind can be a strong source of clean energy. 

Nova Scotia has some of the strongest offshore winds in the world. Offshore wind is an untapped source of clean energy here. It could help meet government goals to use more clean energy and reduce emissions.  

In 2023, 43% of Nova Scotia’s electricity was produced using renewables and 57% came from fossil fuels. More details are available in the "Where your energy comes from now" pie chart created by NS Power on their clean energy web resource.

There is still a lot to do before offshore wind turbines are up and running in Nova Scotia. Government-led work to guide next steps is underway. It is looking at the following categories: 

• environmental,
• social,
• economic, and 
• regulatory factors.

This work must be complete before any projects can move forward. 

There are about 300 commercial onshore wind turbines in Nova Scotia today. Each can produce 2-3 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. More onshore wind farms are planned for the province. 

Offshore turbines are larger than onshore. With stronger offshore winds, each turbine has more clean power potential. Right now, there are no offshore wind turbines in Nova Scotia waters. 

View a comparison of onshore and offshore wind turbines provided by Nature Energy.

There are two main models of offshore wind turbine: fixed and floating.

Fixed turbines are anchored on the sea floor through a concrete base. Fixed turbines need shallow ocean water (30-60 m) and the correct geology to ensure turbines are stable and strong. This is the more popular model as it is well-understood, less expensive, easier to construct and easier to install if the proper conditions are met.

Floating turbines are anchored in place via cables but have a buoyant base that keeps the turbine structure upright. They can be installed in water that is between 60 and 1,000 metres deep. While they are easier to construct and transport out to open ocean, floating turbines are newer technology so less is known about their effectiveness and impacts.  

The offshore wind energy industry requires skilled engineers, marine workers, researchers, policy workers, communications specialists, construction workers, and more. Planning, permitting, and construction jobs for offshore wind energy may be temporary and project-specific, but can employ a wide range of specialists from vessel workers to drillers to site planners. More permanent jobs associated with offshore wind energy involve monitoring and regulating offshore wind infrastructure and related power outputs or maintaining offshore wind farms.  The industry overall has high opportunity to employ many Canadians of varying professional backgrounds. 

Substantial research goes into determining what sites could be suitable for offshore wind energy development:

• Research vessels may use intermittent sonar and drilling to determine geology of the seafloor.
• Sonar may be used more continuously to get accurate mapping of the area of interest. Sonar works by emitting sound waves through the water and receiving the waves when they bounce back from hitting the seafloor. The time it takes to receive the sound waves bouncing back, and the range at which the waves are received, tells researchers the size, depth, and orientation of formations on the seafloor.
• Potential offshore wind energy sites can also be assessed using remote submersibles that help determine ocean wave and current characteristics. They may also be used to observe wildlife or seafloor conditions and gather samples.  

There are many ongoing studies around the world investigating how offshore wind farms affect marine life. Most studies have only examined the short-term impacts, and there is an ongoing need for longer term research. Species can be killed or displaced by drilling, although developers can use mitigation strategies to remove or reduce these harms. One of the first studies looking at the long-term effects of wind farms on marine life found that, after 25 years, a hundred times more animals and twice the number of different species could live on the foundations of wind turbines vs on the ocean floor. 

‘Green’, or ‘clean’ hydrogen is a way of making hydrogen fuel without creating emissions. This is done by using renewable electricity, such as from wind or solar, to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen is currently popular in Europe and growing in the US as a way to replace fossil fuels in industrial uses. With its vast coastlines, Canada has the potential to create hydrogen from offshore wind energy and export it to countries where it is in high demand.  

China leads the world in installed offshore wind energy capacity with more than 31 gigawatts (GW) currently installed. Meanwhile, the UK has an installed capacity of 14 GW of offshore wind energy. The UK has the largest offshore wind farms in the world and is a leading example in this energy industry, especially for Nova Scotia considering the similarities in regional weather patterns. Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands are also leading nations in offshore wind energy development. In 2023, the G-7 vowed to install a total offshore wind energy capacity of 150 GW by 2030. The United States has been initiating a range of projects designed to advance floating offshore wind energy technology and construction of floating wind farms.