Barrage is the wrong option for the Severn estuary

A Severn barrage would block the development of more cost effective, environmentally friendly and powerful renewable energy schemes in the Severn estuary, says environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth Cymru in a new report today (Monday) [1].

The report is launched just days after John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Business, announced that the Government will fund a feasibility study of a Severn barrage, and coincides with a tidal energy report from the Government's own environmental advisers, the Sustainable Development Commission.

The Friends of the Earth Cymru report identifies six major reasons why tidal lagoons would be a better option than the proposed Severn barrage.

1. Lagoons are far more efficient - they could produce up to 60% more energy than the Severn barrage
   
2. Lagoons are much cheaper - they would generate electricity at about half the cost of the barrage (3 p/kWh versus 6 p/kWh)
   
3. Lagoons would not impede navigation - unlike the Severn barrage, which could significantly reduce freight trade entering the UK via the Severn ports, Avonmouth and Portbury. This would have adverse knock-on effects on Bristol, and strain capacity and transport links at other UK ports
   
4. Lagoons would not destroy an internationally important habitat - unlike the Severn barrage, which would destroy the feeding grounds of tens of thousands of birds and damage the legally protected Severn Estuary
   
5. Lagoons would integrate well with other renewable energy schemes - unlike the Severn barrage, which would need expensive stand-by capacity to cope with the huge twice daily pulses of power that would not synchronise with the daily variations in grid demand
   
6. Lagoons would be compatible with a Shoots barrage near the Second Severn Crossing, which could provide flood defence and a strategic rail link from London to south Wales avoiding the ageing Severn tunnel

The Friends of the Earth Cymru report concludes that a relatively small tidal lagoon demonstration scheme should be built to confirm the technology's impressive power output, siltation management and cost claims.

Lagoon developer Tidal Electric Ltd has proposed building the world's first lagoon scheme in Swansea Bay with private funds, yet the company says that it has had to contend with mis-briefings and outright hostility from influential officials within the DTI (now Department for Business). In June 2006 a Welsh Affairs Select Committee expressed concern about the DTI's handling of lagoon technology [2]. This has had no apparent effect, according to Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigners.

Friends of the Earth energy campaigner and author of the report Neil Crumpton said:

"The £14 billion Severn barrage would be a hugely expensive, environmentally damaging and legally questionable mega-project. In contrast, a series of large lagoons in the Severn estuary, possibly in conjunction with a Shoots barrage which could carry the London to south Wales rail link, could offer a far better solution to harnessing the enormous power of the Severn estuary.We recommend that a tidal lagoon demonstration scheme, which could be built with private money right now, should be given strong political support before more time and taxpayers' money is wasted on yet another Severn barrage study."

Friends of the Earth Cymru's director, Gordon James, said:

"The impacts of climate change are happening sooner and are more severe than anticipated. We therefore have to develop clean energy solutions to counter this threat as soon as possible. Tidal lagoons, the Shoots barrage and other marine technologies are a much better option as they could be built quicker and could cut carbon emissions sooner than the large Severn Barrage project."

Notes

1. For a report summary, and to download the full report, go to:
   English
   Cymraeg
   

2. In October 2006, the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee tried to address the DTI's hostile stance in their report 'Energy in Wales: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report of Session 2005-06'. It stated in paragraph 36 that:

   'Regardless of the merits and economic viability of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon scheme, we have concerns about the DTI's handling of the scheme and the damaging effect that this has had on investor confidence and potential commercial development. We are pleased that the DTI has now withdrawn its technical objections to the scheme, but the errors made by the DTI officials have undermined and delayed a highly promising project. We recommend that the DTI takes urgent steps to address the damage it has caused, and to set out clearly its strategy for rebuilding investor confidence in this scheme.'

   Tidal Electric Ltd says little has changed since that time and Friends of the Earth Cymru is not aware of any support of any kind for tidal lagoon technology either from the DTI (now Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform BERR) despite the widest public support in Wales and the UK for the development on the UK's tidal resources.