Marine Renewables Canada 2022 Conference
Powering a sustainable future

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Pre-Conference Activities: Tuesday, November 22, 2022

10:00 AM                       REGISTRATION OPENS
Location: Westin Nova Scotian, 1st floor foyer (just outside Commonwealth Ballroom)

MRC Member Sessions
Location: Westin Nova Scotian

Please note, lunch is not provided for these afternoon sessions (please make sure you have a bite to eat before you arrive).

This year Marine Renewables Canada (MRC) is offering training and information sessions to support members’ needs and business efforts. These sessions will provide MRC members with knowledge, insight, and practical advice that can help them with project planning and development, business development, and relationship-building.

MRC Member Sessions are complimentary with conference registration and exclusive to MRC members only (separate registration required – click here).

12:30 – 2:00 PM           Working with Indigenous Peoples and cultivating relationships

MRC member companies will have the opportunity to take a deeper dive into best practices for Indigenous engagement. During this session, participants will gain insight on how to better cultivate Indigenous relationships, understand business reasons for work with Indigenous Peoples, and tips for developing Indigenous engagement plans and activities.

Session hosts and presenters: Houston Barnaby, Partner &  Corey Mattie, Partner – Indigenous Treaty Partners

2:15 – 3:30 PM               How to communicate effectively about marine renewable energy

Marine renewable energy is still a fairly new technology that is not widely known about or understood. Communicating to the public and stakeholders about the sector, the technology, costs and benefits, research findings, etc. can be challenging, particularly when topics such as energy and electricity are already complex subjects. This session will provide insight and tips on how to identify public and stakeholder communication needs and communicate effectively about your technology, business, or project.

Session host and presenter: Sean Kelly, Consultant, Sean Kelly Consulting

Women in Marine Renewable Energy Networking Event
3:30 – 5:00 PM | Westin Nova Scotian

Join us for Women in Marine Renewables, a networking event co-hosted by Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) and Marine Renewables Canada in conjunction with Marine Renewables Canada’s Annual Conference. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, make connections, and hear from women working in the marine renewable energy sector. This is an opportunity to learn more about how and why they got involved in the sector and what they view as the opportunities and challenges. 

Featured speakers:
Desiree Stockermans, Strategic Markets Officer, Ocean Sonics
Ruth Donald, Project Development Manager, Northland Power

Taste of the Tides: An Evening of Tidal Bay Wine & Local Seafood
6:00 – 8:00 PM ~ Westin Nova Scotian, Atlantic Ballroom & Mezzanine

Marine Renewables Canada is thrilled to be launching a new networking event at the conference this year — Taste of the Tides: An Evening of Tidal Bay Wine & Local Seafood,  hosted in partnership with the Wine Growers Association of Nova Scotia (WGNS).

This unique networking event is being held in conjunction with the conference on the evening of Tuesday, November 22nd, at the Westin Nova Scotian. Taste of the Tides will include a guided tasting of several Tidal Bay wines, Nova Scotia’s very own wine appellation, paired with local oysters and seafood hors d’oeuvres. *This is a cocktail-style networking event (and not a formal dinner).
**Additional cost for this event, separate registration required

Sponsored by:

Day One: Wednesday, November 23, 2022

*Program sequence/sessions are subject to change until finalized. 

7:30 AM                          REGISTRATION OPENS
                                             Location: Westin Nova Scotian, 1st floor foyer (outside Commonwealth Ballroom)

9:00 – 9:05 AM              Conference Opening

9:05 – 9:15 AM             Mi’kmaw Welcome & Song

9:15 – 9:35 AM              Welcome Remarks

9:35 – 9:50 AM            Celebrating Canadian firsts

2022 has been a big year for Canada’s marine renewable energy sector with a major highlight being the successful deployment and grid connection of Canada’s first floating tidal energy platform. It’s now reliably delivering electricity to the grid every day – a milestone for the sector as a whole. Attendees will get insight on this Canadian “first” and what it means for future industry growth.

Speaker: Jason Hayman, CEO, Sustainable Marine

9:50 – 10:00 AM             Address from the Province of Nova Scotia

10:00 – 11:00 AM            Session 1: Transforming our energy future – the role of marine renewables

This opening session will discuss the role of oceans as a sustainable resource supporting the global energy transition. Speakers will discuss the state of the sector as well as actions and initiatives required to ensure widespread uptake of offshore wind, wave, tidal, and river current energy including supportive policies, innovative business models, and integration into net zero pathways.

Chair: Bruce Cameron, Principal Consultant, Envigour Policy Consulting

Speakers:

11:00 – 11:30 AM                Morning Refreshment Break – Atlantic Ballroom

Sponsored by:
 

11:30 AM– 12:30 PM        Session 2: Catalyzing offshore wind development in Atlantic Canada

Over the last year, the focus on realizing the potential of Atlantic Canada’s offshore wind resources has increased dramatically. Aside from this region having some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, steps being taken to establish a regulatory framework and drive future phases of planning and development are attracting international interest. This session will provide updates on initiatives underway to support offshore wind development, as well as factors to consider in future planning and policy development.

Chair: Christine Bonnell Eisnor, CEO, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB)

Speakers:

12:30 – 1:45 PM             Networking Lunch ~ Atlantic Ballroom

Sponsored by:
 

1:45 – 3:00 PM                Session 3: Scaling up: Strengthening tidal energy’s role in energy transition

With Canada on a path to needing two to three times more clean electricity to meet its climate goals, we will need to move with urgency to develop more renewable energy resources. Tidal energy is ready to contribute with grid connected devices, investment lined up, a robust body of knowledge and science that continues to grow, and enabling conditions in place. This session will provide updates on the state of the tidal energy sector and what next steps are vital to scaling projects up to ensure that tidal energy plays an important role in supporting a net zero world by 2050.

Chair: Lindsay Bennett, Acting General Manager, Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE)

Speakers:

3:00 – 3:30 PM               Afternoon Refreshment Break – Atlantic Ballroom

Sponsored by:
 

3:30 – 4:30 PM               Session 4: Supplying the sector: Supply chain innovation and growth strategies

As many jurisdictions work to meet bold clean electricity targets, the need for experienced suppliers grows along with the workforce that will be required to achieve success at home. With decades of experience in ocean industries, proximity to growing offshore wind markets such as the United States, and a competitive labour market, Canadian suppliers have some competitive advantages. But, as an emerging market, marine renewable energy is not always straightforward to navigate and as it grows in Canada the development of a strong workforce is critical. This session will offer insight from Canadian suppliers and organizations engaging in the marine renewable energy market and provide advice on lessons learned as well as insight on industry growth and workforce needs.

Chair: Jennifer Mullane, Director of Policy, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

Speakers:

Conference Welcome Reception
5:00 – 7:00 PM ~ The Cable Wharf, 1751 Lower Water St, Halifax, NS B3J 1S5

The official Welcome Reception of the conference will be held on Wednesday, November 23 at the Cable Wharf, located downtown Halifax.  Join us for an evening of networking, hors d’oeuvres and live music.

This reception is included with conference registration and all conference delegates are encouraged to attend.

Sponsored by:

Day Two: Thursday, November 24, 2022

*Program sequence/sessions are subject to change until finalized.

7:30 AM                            REGISTRATION OPENS
                                             Location: Westin Nova Scotian, 1st floor foyer (outside Commonwealth Ballroom)

9:00 – 10:15 AM             Session 5: Power to X: Growing the green fuels market with marine renewables

This year’s signing of the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance was yet another sign of the major role green fuels like hydrogen will play in our future. With ambitious targets such as Europe’s to import 10 million metric tons of green hydrogen by 2030, jurisdictions around the world are gearing up to deliver. Offshore wind is increasingly being pursued as a renewable resource that can deliver clean hydrogen and e-fuels at the scale required to meet market demand. This session will provide perspective on international efforts to harness offshore wind for power to x initiatives, as well as efforts underway in Canada. Speakers will discuss the approach needed by producers, consumers, energy system planners, regulators, and policymakers to help drive cost competitiveness and timelines of these projects.

Co-Chairs: Brenda Chisolm-Beaton & Amanda Mombourquette, Co-Chairs, Strait of Canso Offshore Wind Task Force

Speakers:

10:15 – 10:45 AM              Morning Refreshment Break – Atlantic Ballroom

Sponsored by:
 

10:45 AM – 11:00 APM        Keynote address from the Government of Canada

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM         Session 6: Enabling marine renewables for coastal, remote and Indigenous communities

Many remote and Indigenous communities across Canada with ambitions to move away from diesel generated electricity to clean sources are in close proximity to marine renewable energy resources. Studies have shown that electricity from marine renewables can offer a cost competitive solution to diesel, but there are many other factors for communities to consider than just cost when making development and investment decisions. This session will offer an update on research, tools, and initiatives underway to inform and support marine renewable energy development in Canada’s remote and Indigenous communities.

Chair: Brad Buckham, Co-Director West Coast Wave Initiative & Chair/Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria

Speakers:

12:15 – 1:45 PM                KEYNOTE LUNCH: Wendy Franks, Executive Vice President – Strategy and Investment Management, Northland Power
Location: Commonwealth Ballroom

1:45 – 3:00 PM                Session 7: Accelerating development through lessons learned: Best practices in offshore wind development from abroad

Although Canada is in the early stages of developing an offshore wind market, other jurisdictions have years of experience that can be drawn upon to help inform and accelerate development here. What has worked well to drive investment, development and supply chain growth – and what are some of the pitfalls we should avoid? During this session, industry leaders will provide insight on lessons learned and best practices based on their experiences development offshore wind around the world.

Chair: Ewan Browell, Managing Director, ABL Canada

Speakers:

3:00 – 3:15 PM              Conference Closing

Post-Conference Mixer
4:30 – 7:00 PM ~ Stubborn Goat Gastro Pub, 1579 Grafton Street, Halifax

Join us for an informal post-conference gathering at The Stubborn Goat Gastropub for one last opportunity to network with conference delegates in a relaxed and casual setting. Light snacks/appetizers will be provided and there will be a cash bar.

All conference delegates welcome – no RSVP required.