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Swansea Bay in Wales is set to house the world's first tidal lagoon. Using the predictable movement of the tide the lagoon will produce clean, green and effortless energy.
Peter Ullman, chairman of Tidal Electric, dropped by to tell us how energy circles in the sea could supply nearly a tenth of the UK's power needs.
People in the area around the tidal lagoon will benefit in a number of ways.
Peter Ullman
The lagoon is an area of water cut off from the rest of the sea.
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| A section of the lagoon wall showing the movement of water through a turbine. |
When the tide drops you get a difference in water level inside and outside of the lagoon.
The water is then released. It passes through turbines creating power.
After the tide rises it generates more power during filling. So it works in both directions.
It's here now. Tidal lagoon technology doesn't have a huge learning curve to climb. And the turbines have been in use for over 130 years - there's about half a million of them in the world today.
The tides have been used for thousands of years to create power.
Peter Ullman
There's no fuel of any sort involved.
There are no temperature changes in the water and there's nothing emitted.
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Peter Ullman supports the Big Ask campaign |
It's likely to attract tourists - a major source of income. In addition it could protect coastlines where erosion is a serious problem.
Tidal lagoons don't require any Government subsidy - we're not asking the taxpayer for money.
Tidal lagoons could contribute significantly to the UK power mix and create a number of jobs.
Peter Ullman on the benefits of tidal lagoons
No. The tidal lagoon doesn't block fish migration. It will create a habitat for fish and other marine life.
A realistic guess would be 3 years.
The only thing holding it back is the process of getting permission. Local citizens, businesses and local politicians have all been very supportive.
Listen to the interview (MP3).
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Images © Flat33 / Friends of the Earth
