Plans for fleet of UK tidal lagoons unveiled
by Isobel Smith on 11 Mar 2015
Lagoon drawing - UK tidal lagoons Tidal Lagoon Power
Plans for a fleet of tidal lagoons across the UK have been unveiled by a company called Tidal Lagoon Power.
The six lagoons, four in Wales, one in Somerset and one in Cumbria, aim to produce eight percent of the UK’s electricity for 120 years.
Tidal Lagoon Power has already submitted a planning application for the first pioneering site in Swansea, with a decision due this June. The scheme was developed to establish a scalable blueprint for the sector.
Taking significant steps towards the delivery of full-scale tidal lagoon infrastructure in the UK, they’ve now submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment scoping report for a tidal lagoon power plant between Cardiff and Newport.
Plans include up to 90 turbines within a 22km breakwater that will harness the power of rising and falling tides to provide electricity to every home in Wales.
The lagoon, which has a design life of 120 years, would generate power for approximately 14 hours each day and potentially be powered on in 2022.
Tidal Lagoon Power has also confirmed that early feasibility and engagement work is underway regarding the delivery of four other full-scale tidal lagoons in Newport, West Cumbria, Colwyn Bay and Bridgewater Bay.
CEO Mark Shorrock said: 'Full-scale tidal lagoon infrastructure gives the UK an opportunity to generate electricity from our amazing tidal range at a cost comparable to fossil fuel or nuclear generation. We have the best tidal resource in Europe and the second best worldwide. We now have a sustainable way to make the most of this natural advantage.
'We will build on the template established for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon – applying the expertise and learning, scaling the UK supply chain and Turbine Assembly Plant, leveraging the institutional investor partnerships we have developed – to deliver a Cardiff Tidal Lagoon capable of working in harmony with nature to supply around 1.5 million UK homes, now and for generations to come, with affordable, reliable, low carbon electricity.
'There is still a long way to go and many environmental surveys to undertake but we will work in partnership with all nature conservation bodies so as to understand, avoid, minimise and mitigate any environmental impacts.'
The firm expects to submit a full planning application for Tidal Lagoon Cardiff in 2017, with a decision expected in 2018.
What is a tidal lagoon?
Put simply, it is a harbour type structure closing off a tidal sea area, and incorporating hydro turbines through which the sea moves to generate electricity.
Tidal lagoons are a simple concept involving the adaptation of standard, proven components used in global engineering projects. The Swansea Bay lagoon will comprise a UK standard sand-core breakwater or rock bund, similar to many seen in coastal defence schemes and harbour walls. The generating equipment of bulb hydro turbines have been used for many years on run-of-river hydro power schemes as well as some landmark tidal barrages. The hydro turbines are mounted inside concrete turbine housings and are permanently submerged so the resulting view is of a ring-shaped harbour wall with one section of concrete casing.
As the sea outside the breakwater rises and is held back a difference in water levels is created, known as ‘head’, and once a sufficient head height is reached sluice gates are opened and water flows into the lagoon through turbines to generate electricity. This process then occurs in reverse, on the ebb tide, as sea levels start to fall and a tidal head is created by holding water back within the lagoon. This way the tides can flow through our turbines four times daily to generate power.
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