Work on £650m tidal power lagoon in Swansea starts

Engineers have started work on a project to develop a £650 million tidal power lagoon (pictured) in Swansea Bay, which when completed would be the first purpose-built power plant of […]

Engineers have started work on a project to develop a £650 million tidal power lagoon (pictured) in Swansea Bay, which when completed would be the first purpose-built power plant of its type in the world.

Contractor Environmental Scientifics Group will be investigating the seabed for four weeks and the results will determine the physical characteristics and assess the viability of the project.

Developer Tidal Lagoon Power claims the proposed 250MW plant will be capable of generating energy equivalent to Swansea’s entire domestic consumption. It is expected to produce electricity for 16 hours a day and save more than 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year over 100 years.

Ton Fijen, Technical Director for Tidal Lagoon Power said: “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.”

The company aims to submit planning approval for the project later this year.

Earlier this year the UK’s first tidal power production plant was opened in Bristol.

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