Severn tidal power vital in battle against climate change

Venables said legislation such as the Climate Change Act provided the impetus for projects like the Severn Barrage to go ahead. She was speaking at the joint ICE South West and Wales Severn Tidal Energy Conference in Bristol. 

“Climate change is widely regarded as the biggest risk we face today,” said Venables. “The proposals to harness the power of the Severn Estuary have long been discussed. But it is now more urgent and has risen up the list of options for the UK, in delivering its obligations to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change.”

Venables said the benefits of the Severn Barrage in battling climate change were clear, but maxmising the UK’s use of renewables was also necessary to improve the security of our energy supplies. “We need to harness more sources of energy – now!” she added.

In January the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) confirmed a shortlist of five tidal power schemes that it would consider for development in the Severn estuary (NCE January 29).

The shortlist, which is open for consultation until 23 April, comprises: n

• The 8.6GW barrage from Cardiff to Weston super Mare, the largest of five schemes and most costly at £20bn

• The Shoots Barrage, a structure further upstream of the Cardiff Weston scheme with a 1.05GW generating capacity

• The Beachley Barrage, situated just above the Wye River with a generating capacity of 625MW

• The Bridgwater Bay Lagoon, a tidal lagoon sited on the English shore between east of Hinkley Point and Weston super Mare with a generating capacity of 1.36GW

• The Fleming Lagoon, an impoundment on the Welsh shore of the estuary between Newport and the Severn road crossings, also 1.36GW

In addition to these five schemes, energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband announced in January £500,000 of new funding to further develop embryonic technologies like tidal reefs and fences.

Speakers at last week’s conference included promoters of the various schemes, civil servants and environmental groups. Pulse Tidal chief technical officer Marc Paish said his proposal of a tidal fence across the estuary, which has received some of DECC’s development funds, could be regarded as a half-way house between tidal stream turbine technology and a tidal barrage, minimising the environmental impact.

“A tidal fence could be simply describe as a row of tidal stream turbines,” said Paish. “By using a fence you can restrict the flow and exert much greater pressure than having stand alone turbines in the sea. “But because it doesn’t rely on impoundment like a barrage, you minimise the potential loss of mudflats habitat and can have wide shipping lanes for the port of Bristol.”     

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