Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 12Th - 18Th MAY 2017 | 9 Generation Review Tidal Power The rising fortunes of Swansea Bay Will the government support the Swansea Bay lagoon, ushering in a era of renewable energy that plays to the UK's strengths? T he proposal to build a £1.3 billion tidal lagoon plant in Swansea Bay is a unique proposition. Construction is slated to begin in 2018, and its completion would mark a world first in the development of tidal power. It is seen as the first in a series of steps that would see the ebb and flow of the UK's coastal tides make a major contri- bution to ensuring a sustainable supply of renewable electricity. For Charles Hendry, the former energy minister who authored the recent report into feasibility of both Swansea Bay and tidal energy as a whole, it is also a "no-regrets" policy: "I don't believe there would be any debate in decades to come about whether this was the right thing to do. I would expect it is much more likely to be seen the decision which started a new industry – and all done at the cost of a small number of pence to consumers each year." If his assessment is correct, the impli- cations for the country's energy supply – and its decarbonisation targets – could be significant. With Canada the only country in the world with more abundant tidal resources on which to draw and the UK's coastlines representing more than half of Europe's tidal potential, the country is uniquely placed to capitalise on this developing energy technol- ogy. Around the UK coastline, the total tidal power potential is estimated to be 25-30GW, or enough to satisfy 12 per cent of overall electricity demand. Furthermore, unlike onshore wind, gen- erating power from tidal flows is popular with the public. Seventy-six per cent of those polled support its development, placing it behind only solar power in popularity. The technology, like other renewables, suffers from intermittency, but it is both entirely predictable – in terms of when the power will be generated – and consistent year-round. So the reasons for Hendry's emphatic endorsement of tidal generation seem clear. And yet, more than four months since his review of its feasibility was published, the wait for the government response on Swan- sea Bay, and the sector as a whole, continues. The main reason for the substantial period of reflection and assessment is undoubtedly cost. With a previous plan to develop tidal power in the Severn Estuary scrapped because of concerns about the need for public subsidies, the appetite for government backing of such developments has diminished significantly. With the Swan- sea Bay project, such backing would not be required, however, because it is expected that the government will have to agree a strike price near to that of the highly criti- cised £92.50/MWh agreed for Hinkley Point C to secure the project's delivery. But beyond that single barrier, there is an appetite to provide long-term support to bring tidal power to full fruition. The suc- cesses in cutting the costs of solar and wind, both on and offshore, suggest the same could be achieved for tidal energy, but delivering on such a promise will depend on sustained support and security. If such support is forthcoming and Swan- sea Bay is greenlit, then it and tidal farms such as the recently launched MeyGen pro- ject in Scotland may usher in a new era of renewable energy production that plays to this island nation's strengths. However, if it is not, then tidal power's potential may flow out before it has even flowed in. "After years of debating, the evidence is, I believe, clear that tidal lagoons can play a cost-effective part of the UK's energy mix." Charles Hendry, former energy minister "We have a really big sector we can build. This project needs to see a sign-off soon." Rebecca Long Bailey, shadow energy secretary "What we desperately need is clear direction from BEIS to tell us what they expect and when they want it delivered." Tim Cornelius, chief executive of Atlantis Resources, "The issues are particularly complex as they relate to untried technology in the marine environment." Greg Clark, business and energy secretary Points of view

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