Ministers are planning to reject a £1.3bn project to build a tidal power lagoon in Swansea Bay as early as next week. The proposal by Tidal Lagoon Power, which has provisional financial backing of £200m from financial institutions led by Prudential, would involve building a six-mile horseshoe-shaped seawall with underwater turbines generating energy on the outgoing tide. The company hoped that it would be the first of a series of new lagoons around the country, with the potential to export the technology overseas. But ministers have balked at the level of subsidy that TLP has demanded from British taxpayers, which is much higher than alternative low-carbon schemes. The announcement is expected to be made on the same day that the government announces the go-ahead for the new Wylfa power station, also in Wales. Carwyn Jones, first minister of Wales, said the rejection of the lagoon project would be “another kick in the teeth” for the people of Wales, not long after the government “reneged” on the electrification of the train line west of Cardiff. Andy Field of Tidal Lagoon Power said: “The government’s industrial strategy looks for homegrown and cheap power and that is what tidal lagoons offer.” He said the unit price from a pathfinder project at Swansea Bay need cost no more than the unit price from Hinkley Point C. “The first full scale project to follow at Cardiff offers nuclear-scale capacity but for 88 times less subsidy than Hinkley. All major parts will be manufactured in the UK, allowing government to buy British power stations in addition to those it buys from the French, Chinese and Japanese.”
FT 1st June 2018 read more »
A tidal lagoon on the north Wales coast would boost the local economy by £11bn and create 20,000 jobs, a report has claimed. North Wales Tidal Energy is doing a feasibility study into a 22-mile lagoon between Llandudno and Prestatyn. A Glyndwr University report says the £7bn lagoon could provide electricity to more than a million homes. A £1.3bn Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is also being considered by the UK government. Both the Vale of Clwyd MP and AM back the plan and NWTE estimates the lagoon could be built and begin generating power within 10 years.
BBC 31st May 2018 read more »
Wave Energy Scotland (WES) has joined an €8 million (£7m) EU-funded project to optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of wave and tidal energy systems. Scotland’s wave energy body will work as part of the DTOcean+ project to develop a user-friendly and freely available software package to help technology companies test their concepts at an early stage. It hopes to improve the reliability, performance and endurance of ocean energy systems, making the sector more attractive for private investment and help it become more cost-competitive.
Energy Live News 31st May 2018 read more »