Thanks to Steve Mewes of Tidal Lagoon Power for the excellent explanation of the potential for tidal lagoon power in Bridgwater Bay.  The scheme for Bridgwater Bay  is still in the community engagement stage so we will not hear if it is to go ahead to be planned until the end of the year;  it still might not go ahead after that; depending on the success of the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon system (recently given the go ahead by the Department of Energy and Climate Change – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-33053003). There are still a number of hurdles to address.

Steve talked us through the Swansea Bay system that is likely to produce energy for over 150,000 homes in the area for 120 years, for 14 hours each day.   There is potential for thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs (especially if the other 5 projects go ahead around Britain).  Impact of the build would be kept to a minimum with the reduction in the amount of concrete that is being used in the scheme.  The investment is there in the UK in the form of UK pension funds moving away from fossil fuel s and choosing renewables. There are still a number of issues to be resolved before the Swansea scheme can go ahead.

• The company needs to negotiate a strike price with the government – a guaranteed price for the power generated. That price is currently greater than for wind turbines, solar power and nuclear.
• An updated validation report has to be completed to convince the government that the technology is workable.
• Environmental concerns regarding silting, sand dredging and potential impact on fish have to be addressed before a marine licence is allowed.

If the Swansea Bay Lagoon system is to go ahead then this ‘pilot’ system could pave the way for 5 other schemes including Cardiff, Newport, Colwyn Bay, West Cumbria and Bridgwater Bay with a potential of producing 8% of Britain’s energy needs.

Bridgwater Bay is by far the largest of the schemes and could potentially run from Minehead to Brean.  As the company is still in community engagement phase this could change.  This scheme would be the last of the lagoon systems to be built and will face the largest of problems:

• Silting will be a bigger issue in the Bridgwater Bay area. Various technologies would have to adopted to keep the water moving in the lagoon to prevent silting.  This could be addressed by the positioning of the turbines, land management further up-stream in the estuary to mitigate soil run off, even mini submarines keeping the silt moving!
• Hinckley Nuclear Power Station giving off thermal plumes into the lagoon. The effects of the thermal plumes to a lagoon system have yet to be investigated. This would have to be addressed before a scheme for Bridgwater Bay went ahead.
• There are many nature reserves in the area and any effects would have to be mitigated or avoided.

The potential for 8% of our energy needs being met by a clean, renewable energy is very compelling and in order for Britain to meet their carbon emissions targets tidal power is a contender. If the issues can be addressed we would be looking at more tidal lagoon systems in the future.

‘At a time when the UK is struggling to rewire its electricity market to introduce more security, less carbon and less cost, here is a blueprint for an infrastructure solution that ticks each box and that will endure.’

Keith Clarke CBE is the Non-Executive Chairman of Tidal Lagoon (Swansea Bay) Plc (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/renewableenergy/11713268/Swansea-tidal-lagoon-power-plant-energy-climate-change.html)

 Thanks to CIC CIC for hosting the event. Remember to support this great venue. Find out more at www.creativeinnovationcentre.co.uk