A British construction company has been named as the preferred bidder for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project in Wales.
Laing O’Rourke won a £200 million contract to deliver a 410-metre turbine house and a sluice structure block for the project. It will require up to 500 workers during peak construction, the company said.
The project is a harbour structure closing off a tidal sea area with hydro-turbines incorporated through which the sea moves to generate electricity. It is expected to be opened in 2019.
It would generate around 500GWh per year – enough electricity to power more than 155,000 houses in the area.
Tidal Lagoon Power Director of Engineering & Construction Andrew McNaughton said: “Announcing that Laing O’Rourke is joining the team is a major step forward for the project.”