news story

16th April 2009

Welsh and West of England Lib Dems Propose Severn Tidal-Power Solutions

Steve Webb MP with other MPs, Welsh Assembly members and councillors who were members of the Lib Dem Severn Tidal Power Inquiry, standing near the site of a possible 'Shoots Barrage', near the Second Severn Crossing

Download the report here

Click here to see Steve Webb's comments to the BBC

A commission of inquiry established by Liberal Democrat MPs, Assembly Members and councillors in the West of England and Wales has published a blueprint for harnessing the tidal power of the Severn Estuary.

The inquiry has held evidence sessions at Cardiff, Bristol and Portishead over a twelve month period and has studied the documents which have been prepared by the Government as part of its own appraisal of options for Severn Tidal power. The commission was jointly chaired by Northavon MP Steve Webb and Mike German AM. The key recommendations are:

* that a barrage near the Second Severn Crossing (the 'Shoots Barrage') would be better than the much larger 'Cardiff-Weston' barrage;
* that there should be pilots of 'lagoon' technology in the estuary;
* that there should be serious investment in innovative technology such as the tidal 'reef' and into methods for storing tidal power so that it can be used at times of day when it is most needed.

The commission rejects the larger barrage on several grounds. It is found to do serious damage to the estuary (wiping out around 80% of the 'inter-tidal habitat'), it is less cost-effective than the shorter barrage, it would cause serious economic damage to the port of Bristol and it might be up to two decades before it could be completed, meaning no savings in CO2 emissions before late into the 2020s. In addition, assuming that the Barrage generated on the ebb tide only, a large barrage would generate two huge bursts of power, not necessarily at times of day when that power could usefully be fed into the National Grid.

By contrast, the power generated by a smaller barrage could be more manageably used by the Grid and it could be up and running within a decade. In addition, the Shoots barrage, lying near to the route of the Severn rail tunnel, would provide potential to facilitate a new high-speed electrified rail link between London, Bristol and South Wales.

The Commission found that lagoon technology could complement the use of a barrage, providing power at different times to the barrage and with less environmental impact on the estuary as a whole.

The Commission took evidence from the proponents of the Severn Tidal Reef, and were excited by the possibilities but recognised that the technology still needs to be substantially researched and developed. The Commission therefore recommended that far greater resources be devoted to pursuing the option of a Minehead to Aberthaw reef which could produce substantial amounts of power with much lower environmental impact. The Commission specifically recommended that money from the £50 million 'Marine Renewables Deployment Fund' could be earmarked for moving this work forward.

Commenting on the report, Northavon MP Steve Webb said:

"For over a century people have rightly been highlighting the potential for power generation from the Severn Estuary. With the threat of climate change getting steadily greater there is now real urgency that we get on with harnessing this source of renewable energy in an environmentally responsible way. We therefore reject the large 'Cardiff-Weston' barrage which could take decades to come on stream and could do untold damage both to the environment and to the local economy through its impact on the Port of Bristol. We believe that a smaller barrage offers the best mix of power output with reduced environmental impact and also offers the chance for a major upgrade to public transport through Wales and the West of England"

Mike German AM said;

" In tackling an issue as complex and divisive as Severn tidal power, this commission has reached extremely encouraging conclusions that should send a strong signal to Government in Cardiff and London. The Liberal Democrats are committed to finding sustainable solutions, small and large scale, that work for the people of Wales and England - that's why we're years ahead of government in consulting widely and producing this excellent, progressive report. As the report clearly states - we cannot afford to let Government waste any more time if we are to avoid dangerous climate change and ensure we have energy and transport infrastructure fit for all our futures."