Severn Tidal Fence: an alternative to the barrage

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

A new consortium including AMEC, engineering consultancy BMT Group, Econnect, IT Power, NaREC and Pulse Tidal Ltd have proposed an alternative to the Severn Tidal Barrage. The Severn Tidal Fence group (STF) say that a permeable tidal fence with a row of tidal current turbines would be less environmentally invasive than a barrage since it would not seal off the estuary. It would also allow ships to pass through without the need for costly locks.

Marc Paish of STF said: "The group's preliminary investigations show a tidal fence in the same area as the proposed barrage would have a capacity of 1.3GW and would provide around one per cent of the country's electrical supply. We are also suggesting that a combination of a tidal fence and a small barrage or tidal lagoons would provide a positive solution, producing power while preserving the natural habitat. The tidal fence would produce most power at the middle of the tidal cycle, whereas the barrage or lagoons would produce most power at high and low tide."

Meanwhile a report for WWF by Frontier Economics claims that power from the Severn Barrage would cost around GBP100/MWh, roughly double that from most other renewable options.