Tidal Power in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of tidal power in the UK in fulfilling the UKpsilas requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Generating electricity from tidal range of the Severn Estuary has the potential to generate some 5% of UK electricity from a renewable indigenous resource. A study is underway to: (1) assess in broad terms the costs, benefits and impact of a project to generate power from the tidal range of the Severn Estuary, including environmental, social, regional, economic, and energy market impacts; (2) identify a single preferred tidal range project (which may be a single technology/location or a combination of these) from the number of options that have been proposed; (3) consider what measures the government could put in place to bring forward a project that fulfils regulatory requirements, and the steps that are necessary to achieve this; and (4) decide, in the context of the governmentpsilas energy and climate change goals and the alternative options for achieving these, and after public consultation, whether the government could support a tidal power project in the Severn Estuary and on what terms. The study is expected to last roughly two years (until January 2010). Under consideration is tidal range, including barrages, lagoons and other technologies, and includes a strategic environmental assessment of plans for generating electricity from the Severn Estuary tidal range to ensure a detailed understanding of its environmental resource recognising the nature conservation significance of the Estuary. The scheme would use proven technology of a hydroelectric dam but filled by the incoming tide rather than by water flowing downstream. The Severn Estuary has some of the best tidal potential in the world and could more than double the current UK supply of renewable electricity and contribute significantly to targets for renewable energy and CO2 emissions reduction. The scheme would have a capacity of 8640 MW and produce roughly 17 TWhrs/year with a load factor of 0.22.