Wind Energy Areas in Offshore Wind Call for Information NS25-1R

For offshore wind Call for Information NS25-1R and when considering parcels for a first offshore wind Call for Bids, the CNSOER is focusing its efforts on the following three government designated Wind Energy Areas: Sydney Bight, Middle Bank, and French Bank.

Wind Energy Areas Included in Offshore Wind Call for Information NS25-1R

Governments have included three of their designated wind energy areas for consideration in the offshore wind Call for Bids. For offshore wind Call for Information NS25-1R and when considering parcels for a first offshore wind Call for Bids, the CNSOER is focusing its efforts on the following three Wind Energy Areas: 

  • Sydney Bight
  • Middle Bank
  • French Bank
Governments designated Wind Energy Areas NS25-1R
Sydney Bight
  • The Sydney Bight WEA is relatively close to shore, existing grid infrastructure, and port facilities along the northeastern coast of Cape Breton.
  • The Sydney Bight WEA possesses depths and geological conditions potentially suitable for fixed-bottom or floating offshore wind development and is 25 km from shore at its nearest point.
  • This WEA is intersected by two ferry routes that transit between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador; the constitutionally mandated North Sydney (NS) to Port aux Basques (NL) route and the North Sydney (NS) to Argentia (NL) route.

To download a PDF version of the WEA Sydney Bight, click the link below:

The CNSOER will consider specific details for Sydney Bight including:

  • At least one (1) parcel should be identified in Sydney Bight
  • Parcel identification should focus on areas within the Wind Energy Area that are technically suitable for fixed-bottom offshore wind development
  • The parcel should be large enough to accommodate a project with a generating capacity up to 500 MW
Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - Sydney Bight
Middle Bank
  • The Middle Bank WEA is located roughly 60 km from shore at its closest point and roughly 120 km from the port of Port Hawkesbury.
  • Based on available data, this area has suitable water depths and surficial geology for offshore wind development, in particular fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, and lies adjacent to a decommissioned pipeline route.

To download a PDF version of the WEA Middle Bank, click the link below:

The CNSOER will consider specific details for Middle Bank including:

•    At least two (2) parcels should be identified on Middle Bank
•    Each parcel should be large enough to accommodate projects with generating capacities of up 1,000 MW (2,000 MW total initially, with the potential for additional capacity to be considered upon review).

Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - Middle Bank
French Bank
  • The French Bank WEA is roughly 33 km from the community of Goldboro and 65 km from the port of Sheet Harbour.
  • At its nearest point it is located 20 km from shore and the entire French Bank WEA has water depths greater than 70 m. A decommissioned pipeline route transects this WEA and terminates in the Sable Island Bank WEA.

To download a PDF version of the WEA French Bank, click the link below:

The CNSOER will consider specific details for French Bank including:

  • At least one (1) parcel should be identified on French Bank
  • Parcel identification should focus on areas within the Wind Energy Area that are technically suitable for floating offshore wind development
  • The parcel should leave a buffer on either side of the existing, but abandoned, pipeline corridor that runs through the Wind Energy Area
  • The parcel should be large enough in spatial area to accommodate a project with a generating capacity of up to 500 MW
     
Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - French Bank