Engineering news
Charles Hendry has published his final report and recommendations of the Independent Review of tidal lagoons, which has come out in favour of government support for the renewable energy technology.
The report recommends that the 500MW Swansea Bay tidal lagoon pathfinder project should be moved forward immediately.
Hendry said: “I believe that the evidence is clear that tidal lagoons can play a cost effective role in the UK's energy mix and there is considerable value in a small (less than 500MW) pathfinder project.
“Having looked at all the evidence, spoken to many of the key players, on both sides of this debate, it is my view that we should seize the opportunity to move this technology forward now.”
A spokesperson from Tidal Lagoon Energy, the company behind the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, said: “The Hendry Review has set the final piece of the jigsaw in place: a watershed moment for British energy, British manufacturing, British productivity and our coastal communities. We look forward to working with Ministers and Officials to bring this new industry to life.”
The Hendry Review received almost 200 responses to the Call for Evidence. He concluded that tidal lagoons would not only help deliver security of energy supply but that they would also assist in delivering the UK’s decarbonisation commitments. Hendry also said that they would bring “real and substantial opportunities” for the UK supply chain. However, most importantly, he said it is clear that tidal lagoons at scale could deliver low carbon power that is competitive with other low carbon sources.
Hendry said: “The aim now is that we should move to secure the pathfinder project as swiftly as possible, so the learning opportunities it offers can be maximised.”
Hendry has concluded that the Swansea Bay pathfinder project, which could generate about 500GWh per year of electricity, needs to be operational before the country moves to larger scale projects. He also recommended that a clear long-term government strategy in favour of tidal lagoons is required if the full supply chain and cost reduction opportunities are to be realised.
“Tidal lagoons can be an important and exciting new industry for the United Kingdom,” said Hendry. “We are blessed with some of the best resources in the world, which puts us in a unique position to be world leaders.”
The costs of a pathfinder project would be about 30p per household per year over the first 30 years. A large scale project would be less than 50p over the first 60 years. Hendry stressed that the benefits of that investment “could be huge”, especially in South Wales, but also in many other parts of the country.
The report makes more than 30 recommendations for delivering a tidal lagoon auditory bringing maximum benefit to the UK, including:
· An allocation by a competitive tender process for large scale tidal lagoons;
· Informing the consenting process with a National Policy Statement for tidal lagoons similar to Nuclear new build, where specific sites are designated by the government as being suitable for development;
· The establishment of a new body (Tidal Power Authority) at arms-length from government
A spokesperson for tidal energy company Atlantis Resources, said: “The most important role for tidal barrages and lagoons in Britain is to act as utility-scale grid storage facilities to support deeper penetration of renewables.
"The business case for tidal power is compelling. New tidal generation capacity will assist the large-scale expansion of variable forms of renewable energy generation; address the growing demand for energy and peak power; help manage the increased number of interconnections between the UK and Europe thereby promoting closer coordination between regional markets and, of course, contribute to security of supply, driving down consumer costs.”