Plans for world's first tidal power plant

[kenneal - lagger]

There is also the problem that a Severn Barrage would destroy the Scott wetlands which are home to hundreds of thousands of birds throughout the year and which, I think, are a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which is the highest level of conservation for wildlife.

It has also been argued that we could get almost as much energy at lower cost from smaller barrages spread around the edges of the Severn Estuary such as at Cardiff and Swansea with out the total destruction of wetland areas in the Estuary.

[kenneal - lagger]

Conventional economics don't work well or the tidal barrage. It lasts too long so its benefits 50, 70+ years into the future are discounted away to nothing. Had the 'uneconomical' thing been built in the 1970's it would today, be doing a lot better than the decommissioned fleet of nuclear reactors with theier ~£100bn+ decommission cost.

This just shows how ludicrous is our system of economics. If it had been built in the 1970s the value of its electricity today would have been far greater than the value at which it was built. Yes, we would have paid off the costs by now but it would still be generating huge and increasing economic benefits.

Economics needs to be thrown out of the window until it is rewritten to suit the world that we actually live in.

[BritDownUnder]

Problem I can see with the proposed Swansea barrage is that while it is a loop and does not interfere with the main estuary the length of the barrage is to be 6 miles and rated to generate 320 MW. The main Severn estuary barrage which can be at various locations but the Weston-Lavernock barrage would be 9.9 miles long and rated at 8400 MW. To me the capital cost per mile per MW for barrage length of the latter is better than the former if the depths of sea are similar.

To me it would make sense to try an estuarine barrage in a smaller estuary somewhere on the UK West coast before trying the big one. Or combine it with flood protection on the UK East coast such as the Humber, Wash or Thames estuaries.

[kenneal - lagger]

A Severn barrage has always been turned down on the basis of the damage to the SAC that is the Peter Scott bird sanctuary.

[BritDownUnder]

Perhaps a "second barrage" could be placed around Slimbridge and the natural frequency and levels of tides be recreated by suitable pumping/sluicing apparatus to please the birds and their human advocates. All paid for by levies on the entrance fee to the sanctuary and a special surcharge on the RSPB annual subscription of course.

[kenneal - lagger]

The energy penalty of all the pumping and the extra cost of the extra barrage may well make it just as economic to build a couple of smaller barrages around the estuary. The new Environment Act means that any development has to show at least a 10% new benefit to the environment.

[BritDownUnder]

The energy penalty of all the pumping and the extra cost of the extra barrage may well make it just as economic to build a couple of smaller barrages around the estuary. The new Environment Act means that any development has to show at least a 10% new benefit to the environment.

Depends on area that the barrage encompasses.

Some plans of the Severn barrage had scope for separate walled off basins (there would still be a main barrage across the main estuary) to allow for different levels of water in each so as to even out the power generation across the whole tidal cycle by transferring water between them.

I would have the electricity generated by the barrage that would have otherwise have to have been generated by bird-killing wind turbines and sunlight-stealing planet-cooling solar panels or even, God-forbid, fossil fuels would be something of a benefit to the environment. Also the protection from rising sea levels may be taken into consideration. Maybe the NIMBYs need to sent to live without electricity to an Iron Age camp for a year to see the benefits of electricity.

[clv101]

Solar panels tend to warm by lowering albedo.

[BritDownUnder]

Solar panels tend to warm by lowering albedo.

It can't possibly be the case. A council in North Carolina banned a solar farm because it would steal sunlight from the the real owners.

[kenneal - lagger]

Solar panels tend to warm by lowering albedo.

It can't possibly be the case. A council in North Carolina banned a solar farm because it would steal sunlight from the the real owners.

That only shows just how dumb many Republicans are!

[Mark]

£1.7bn Swansea energy hub and tidal lagoon ‘will absolutely be delivered’:
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest ... 6-01-2023/

Tidal lagoon, floating solar farm and battery manufacturing plant 'will be delivered' in Swansea:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... n-25956956

[PS_RalphW]

Unfortunately battery startup Britishvolt expected to go bankrupt today.

[clv101]

Bad news for UK car assembly as to export those cars to EU it would be helpful if the batteries weren't first imported from China!

[BritDownUnder]

According to the Grauniad Chinese-owned Envision AESC is building a 'MegaFactory' in Sunderland to supply the Nissan factory there.

Nice to see some lovely drawings of the tidal power plant in Swansea as well. "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride".

[BritDownUnder]

Further Grauniad investigation that alleges, conflict of interest amongst amongst executives, private jet travel, hire of mansion in Geordieland that had a jacuzzi, lots of private consultants and worst of all ... curved 4K monitors so that employees can play minecraft during slow days.

With spendthrift bungling UK management like these it's a wonder how any UK company can succeed.