A B.C. startup is looking to begin the testing stage in Scotland for an underwater turbine that could be one of the most efficient and sustainable energy models on the global market.

Dorn Beattie, a self-described B次元官网网址渨acky inventorB次元官网网址� and former chart topping musician, created the Swordfish turbine around 2018 when he was looking to create an alternative to a gas-powered generator for his boat.

B次元官网网址淚 came up with an idea for a generator with the original version of SwordfishB次元官网网址�, he said. B次元官网网址淲hen I originally developed it, which was a little more pointed and only designed to go in one direction, the goal was to tow it behind my boat and bypass the alternators on the boat, which in theory would give me a ten per cent increase in horsepower, and reduce the gas consumption.B次元官网网址�

Over the past few years, the design grew into a horizontal axis, bi-directional turbine that can produce up to two megawatts per device, which could power around 1500 homes.

The corkscrew-shaped device, which can be between three and 12 metres in length, sits under the water and uses water currents in rivers or the ocean tide to power generators on land.

As opposed to other hydro-kinetic energy devices and sustainable energy models that have tried to make their way into the market, the Swordfish is expected to be harmless to wildlife, itB次元官网网址檚 quiet, thereB次元官网网址檚 no electromagnetic radiation, and it stays completely out of sight.

Tidal energy is also more predictable that solar and wind, and itB次元官网网址檚 cheaper to build and operate than nuclear and hydrogen energy.

His inspiration to continue building the Swordfish brand and further developing the turbine for commercial use is his desire to help curb CO2 emissions and diesel fumes which are some of the leading causes to climate change.

He mentioned wanting to use the device in Haida Gwaii, which currently uses three two-megawatt diesel generators that consume ten-million gallons of diesel fuel every year.

B次元官网网址淚n addition to the the amount of diesel that they consume, it pollutes their air locally, and they canB次元官网网址檛 grow their town because they canB次元官网网址檛 add more industry to their towns. So theyB次元官网网址檙e basically stunting the growth of the towns unless they add another diesel generator, and theyB次元官网网址檙e not willing to do that,B次元官网网址� he said.

According to Natural Resources Canada, a total of 251 remote communities across the country have their own fossil fuel and 80 of those are in B.C.

Patrick Marshall, the CEO of Swordfish, has worked with local governments and First Nations through B.C. for decades, and he said they have garnered lots of support from multiple levels of government and multiple First Nations across the province.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had great support from Canada and British Columbia in terms of the regulators, like Fisheries and Oceans Canada, weB次元官网网址檝e been working with their management in Vancouver because we want to make sure they come along and understand how this works,B次元官网网址� said Marshall.

Swordfish, which has offices in Victoria and Vancouver, is planning to take the device to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, Scotland for official contained demonstrations, and they continue to facilitate conversations with stakeholders and community members, getting ready for when the device is available for commercial use.

B次元官网网址淚 served in as the economic developer for Campbell River for 17 years and I would see these technologies show up on a Sunday with a computer composite, and by Wednesday, they were dead in the water because they didnB次元官网网址檛 actually talk to anybody in the community. So weB次元官网网址檙e not going to make that mistake,B次元官网网址� said Marshall. B次元官网网址淚 understand the First Nation community process, so weB次元官网网址檙e going to honour that and make sure that we exceed those expectations. Everybody wants to solve climate change, we want to do it in a responsible and visible way.B次元官网网址�

The device has already won multiple awards, and has been nominated twice for Prince William and David AttenboroughB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址減restigiousB次元官网网址� Earth Shot Prize. It was also recently a runner-up for the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable TechnologiesB次元官网网址� Pitchfest contest.

Marshall says they expect the Scotland testing process to last about two months, and they need to finish the nine-step technical readiness process, and their currently at step six. He expects the device will be ready for commercial use in about two years.