World’s largest tidal energy project planned for Wales

• 10 years ago (2014-02-10)
• Junior Isles

Europe 1061 Nuclear 640 Renewables 751

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Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP) has announced a £12 billion scheme to build a series of tidal energy plants in South Wales, including a project to create the world's largest power generating lagoon in Swansea Bay.

The initial £850 million project would see 11.5 sq km of Swansea’s coast cordoned off by a breakwater to create a tidal energy plant with an installed capacity of 320 MW, an annual output of 420 GWh and a design life approximately 120 years

Its planners hope that the £850 million Swansea Bay lagoon would also become a centre for sailing and other recreational activities.

This first project would then be followed by four even larger lagoons, amounting to a total generation capacity of 7300 MW, enough to provide 10 per cent of the UK's total power demand, according to the plans.

“Our intention is to supply 10 per cent of the UK's domestic electricity by building at least five full-scale tidal lagoons in UK waters by 2023, before the UK sees any generation from new nuclear," said Mark Shorrock, chief executive of Tidal Lagoon Power.

A development consent order under the Planning Act 2008 for the first stage of the project has been made, but TLP must convince the government to provide generous subsidies of £156 per MWh if the project is to progress.

Shorrock claims multiple tidal lagoons, beyond Swansea Bay, are essential for the project: "Economies of scale bring immediate advantage. A second lagoon will require a lower level of support than offshore wind, for a renewable power supply that is both long-lived and certain. A third lagoon will be competitive with the support received by new nuclear, but comes without the decommissioning costs and safety concerns," he said.

The second project would cost £2.3 billion and be located in Colwyn Bay, with a third located in the upper Severn estuary costing £4 billon. Two more at a cost of £4.5 billion would follow at currently unspecified sites.

Shorrock, who has experience in the sector as a successful renewables entrepreneur, claims to have potential financial backing from the Macquarie Group's infrastructure funds and is interested in securing the investment support of UK pension funds.

TLP has secured several British-based suppliers to support the scheme, including Alstom, Sheffield Forgemasters and Atkins, and promises the equivalent of 1850 new full-time jobs during the construction phase.

If planning and subsidy support is forthcoming, construction of the Swansea Bay lagoon is set to begin in the first half of 2015 with first power being generated in 2018.