Tidal Lagoon Power has welcomed comments by Leanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru that the pro-posed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon has a vital role to play in developing the Welsh economy.
Explaining her latest thinking on developing the Welsh Economy, Leanne Wood says: “Wales needs to become early adopters and developers of improved technologies. Denmark took early advantage of the economic benefits from wind power, Germany from solar power. Wales has vast opportunities to produce hydro-power. Pioneering technologies like the proposed tidal lagoon at Swansea Bay which could provide energy for more than 100,000 homes as well as a pilot for further developments. “
Capable of generating electricity equivalent to Swansea’s entire domestic consumption, the proposed 250MW power plant in Swansea Bay will produce predictable, baseload electricity for 16 hours each day, using both the ebb and flood tides. It will save over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for its design life of over 100 years.
The project represents an investment of £650 million, and according to Tidal Lagoon Power, the development company behind the scheme, is a significant opportunity for Wales to take the lead in the tidal industry for the UK. The power plant could be connected to the National Grid and be ‘power ready’ in 2017.
Ton Fijen, Technical Director for Tidal Lagoon Power adds: “Our vision is to deliver 10,000MW of power from the tidal range in the UK and thus change the energy mix to home-grown, low carbon energy that creates local jobs, cheap power and local long term amenities for the communities who host the lagoons. We know that there is an available 10,000 MW of potential sites in the UK alone that are suitable for tidal lagoon development. The Swansea project will hopefully be the first in a network of lagoons around the UK coastline, driving a critical change in our energy mix with low cost, low carbon electricity sources that are sustainable long-term.”
“Detailed plans for the lagoon are now being finalised prior to beginning formal consultation in summer 2013. Our intention, subject to design readiness, is to submit an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in the late autumn of 2013. Announcing our partnership with these leading contractors is another step forward as we progress towards planning.”
Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is being promoted and developed by Tidal Lagoon Power Limited (TLP). TLP’s focus is the development of a series of tidal lagoons to generate renewable energy from the rise and fall of the considerable tidal range to be found in Welsh and UK waters.
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Press release, May 16, 2013; Image: tidallagoonswanseabay