Like windmills in the water, new technology being tested in Manitoba aims to use the power of rushing rivers without building dams.
“It's going to make a huge difference for small communities and medium sized communities,” said Eric Biebau, alternative energy chair with the University of Manitoba.
Near Seven Sisters, the University of Manitoba runs the Canadian Hydrokinetic Turbine Test Centre.
Researchers test Canadian designs of portable turbines that work in rivers.
The turbines wouldn't replace large-scale power plants but could help close gaps in the electrical grid.
The new centre is the only research facility of its kind in the country.
Ross Sinclaire, CEO and inventor with Jupiter Hydro Inc., begins testing his coil turbine at the site this week.
“To have a university accredited report on this technology is huge and here it is, so we're very, very pleased,” he said.
Harnessing the power of the river could help wean remote communities off diesel generators, which are expensive to run.
New technology doesn't come cheap either, but researchers at this facility aim to change that through testing and development.
The turbines also work in oceans where they could create energy on a utility scale.
