VIEW PROPOSALS: Clean energy hope from wave power in Severn

Tidal lagoons and a wave farm are possibilities in a list of 10 proposals to generate power from the Severn Estuary.

Forming part of the Government's tidal energy feasibility study, the proposals were met with enthusiasm by opponents of the Severn barrage scheme.

Environmentalists also welcomed the alternatives but stressed the need for comprehensive environmental assessment of each proposal.

The plans which will be given further consideration were unveiled at an event in Cardiff yesterday.

A shortlist will be published later in the year for which schemes will be taken forward for more extensive research.

The schemes announced include the well-studied 10 mile Cardiff-Weston barrage plan, which could generate up to 5 per cent of the UK's electricity, and the shorter Shoots barrage further up the estuary.

The list also includes an even larger 'Outer Barrage' from Minehead in Somerset to Aberthaw and the Beachley barrage which would be further upstream and have a smaller operating capacity than the Shoots barrage. Other proposals being considered include a tidal fence scheme which would have a barrier with open sections and involve tidal stream turbines to capture energy as tide ebbs and flows.

A reef proposal which would include floating turbines to harness energy is also on the list.

Energy Secretary John Hutton, who commissioned the feasibility study, said: “Harnessing the power of the Severn estuary could be an engineering project of breathtaking scale and we will look at the full range of technologies and locations.

“Such a project could play an important role in our ambition to dramatically increase the amount of energy from renewable sources. The tidal range on the Severn is the second largest in the world and has the potential to provide around 5 per cent of the UK's current electricity demand.”

Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing for the Welsh Assembly, said: “It is important to stress that while there is much talk of a 'barrage', this feasibility study is looking at a range of other options.

“The potential here is great and the Severn Estuary is a resource that could help us make a significant contribution to the proposed UK renewables target of 15 per cent by 2020.”

The two-year multi-million-pound feasibility study aims to assess the costs, benefits and impact of such a tidal scheme in the Severn and identify a single preferred project from the options that have been proposed.

Proposals for a barrage across the estuary have attracted controversy, with wildlife groups concerned about the impact it could have on the rich ecosystems in the area, which is home to thousands of over-wintering birds.

The Government's sustainability watchdog the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) last year said a tidal barrage blocking the tide's flow through the estuary could be built if it complied with environmental laws.

But green groups such as Friends of the Earth have called for less environmentally damaging schemes such as tidal lagoons, which would harness the tide's power as it ebbed and flowed.

The RSPB also expressed concerns at some of the proposals and said others, such as tidal reefs, would cause much less harm.

Friends of the Earth energy campaigner and member of the Severn Tidal Strategic Environmental Assessment steering group Neil Crumpton said he was delighted the Government was looking at a range of options for the Severn.

“There are some exciting tidal projects on the table which could produce as much as 10 per cent of the UK's renewable energy 2020 target in a more cost effective way than the Severn Barrage – and without damaging the environment or threatening access to the port at Bristol.

But a spokesman for the Department for Business said: “We are fully committed to meeting our fair share of the EU target. This has been demonstrated by the renewables strategy consultation which we published last month and which will see a tenfold increase in renewable energy generation by 2020.”

Martin Harper, chief executive of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and head of sustainable development at the RSPB, said: “We absolutely support the use of sustainable, renewable sources of energy so it is interesting to see which schemes are being considered.

“WWT has submitted information to the Government as part of the strategic environmental assessment and continues to offer our unique expertise on wetlands and their wildlife. We strongly urge the greatest care to be taken to properly assess the environmental impact of each of these proposed schemes.

“It is right that all options for clean energy generation be considered but the feasibility study should rule out projects where the damage and costs outweigh the benefits.

“Projects like a large barrage or tidal lagoons would fundamentally change the nature of the Severn Estuary which is heavily protected by law.”

Concerns were also raised over the impact the schemes would have on Weston-super-Mare. Mike Bell, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, said: “The publication of this long list of possible schemes is welcome, as it further advances the debate on energy generation from the Severn Estuary.

“However, it is another wake up call for Weston-super-Mare since half the schemes, if built, would have no direct economic or leisure benefits for Weston.

“There are very important environmental challenges – both in terms of sustainable power generation and impact on the Estuary environment – to be overcome.

“But Weston is also in a tight fight to secure jobs and regeneration dividends.

“Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Cardiff, Clevedon and other towns further up the estuary stand to benefit if the right scheme is chosen.”