20 July 2008
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
 
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Tidal Power: Severn Estuary

Introduction

The tidal energy resource in the Severn Estuary provides the largest potential of all the UK’s estuaries for renewable electricity generation. Previous studies, including the recent report from the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) ‘Turning the Tide: Tidal Power in the UK’ indicate that up to 5% of the UK’s electricity demand could be met by harnessing the tidal energy that exists within the estuary.

Following the SDC report last year, the Government is now carrying out a two year study looking at the feasibility of a tidal power scheme in the Severn Estuary. The study will focus on tidal range technologies (including barrages and lagoons) and aims to gather and assess high-level evidence to enable Government to decide, in the context of the Government’s energy and climate change goals and the alternative options for achieving these, and after public consultation, could Government support a tidal power scheme in the Severn Estuary and if so on what terms?

The study – which will build on past-studies to provide an up-to-date analysis of all the key issues involved – is being carried out by a cross-Government team lead by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and including representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government and the South West Regional Development Agency. The team will also be taking external advice as necessary and engaging stakeholders and the wider public.

The study has six key work areas:

  1. Environmental – impacts on biodiversity and wildlife; flood management; geomorphology; water quality; landscape; compensatory habitat
  2. Engineering and Technical – options appraisal; costs; design and construction; grid linkage
  3. Economic – financing; ownership; energy market impacts
  4. Regional – impacts on business; regional social and economic impacts
  5. Planning and consents – regulatory compliance
  6. Stakeholder engagement and communication

The study will also include a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), to ensure a detailed understanding of its environmental resource of the Estuary, recognising its National, European and International nature conservation significance.  This will be a two phase process with two public consultations - one on the scope towards the end of this year and one on the evidence and conclusions at the end of the feasibility study in late 2009 or early 2010.

Call for Evidence

The consortium managing the SEA process (led by Parsons Brinckerhoff) issued a Call for Evidence on Monday 12 May. The Call has two parts:

  1. a Call for Proposals inviting evidence based proposals for development which will generate electricity from the tidal range of the Severn Estuary. This will close on 13 June.
  2. a Call for Information inviting interested parties to submit information which could potentially contribute to the evidence base for the initial appraisal of schemes and the SEA. This closes on 11 July.

Further information (including the Call for Evidence paper) is available on the Parsons Brinckerhoff website.

Further information on the six work areas will also be provided here shortly. The terms of reference, introductory slides (including an outline timeline) and common questions and answers are available in the related documents section on the right hand side of this page.

Please contact the team at severntidalpowerunit@berr.gsi.gov.uk if you have any queries that aren’t answered by the information on this site or if you would like to be added to our contact lists or kept informed of stakeholder events.

Latest Updates

12th June

BERR Recruitment for SEA Contract Manager

BERR is looking for an experienced professional to manage the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) contract awarded to the consortium led by Parsons Brinckerhoff. Further information and an application form can be found under 'Related Documents' on the right hand side of this page.

12 May

Call for Evidence published by a Consortium led by Parsons Brinckerhoff.

6 May

Consortium led by Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) appointed to manage the SEA process.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) appointed to advise on how a Severn Tidal Power scheme could be financed and ownership options.

The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study Press Release will give you further information on both the above appointments.

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