Tidal lagoon on Severn Estuary could solve energy crisis, says WECA Mayor
Dan Norris wants to see the tidal power of the Severn harnessed for green energy
The government should look at building a hydroelectric power plant on the Severn Estuary to help solve the escalating energy crisis.
That's what West of England Mayor Dan Norris has said, calling the idea a "no brainer".
His comments came after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced his party would introduce a windfall tax on oil and gas companies if they came into power.
The Severn Estuary boasts the second largest tidal range in the world and the idea for a tidal lagoon to harness that was first recommended in a 2017 report put together by former energy minister Charles Hendry.
In brief, a tidal lagoon project would see a lengthy sea wall built with turbines under the surface, which would create electricity as the water naturally flowed through them.
Hendry concluded tidal lagoons could play a cost-effective role in the UK energy mix, producing huge amounts of clean, green electricity and cutting energy bills as well.
"The Government has been reluctant to put money into tidal power, citing value for money concerns," a statement from Labour's Norris reads.
"A strategy to achieve net-zero carbon, published last October, did not mention tidal energy at all, and tidal power got only a meagre mention in the long-awaited energy strategy published in April."
The Institution of Civil Engineers claims such a tidal scheme could provide up to seven per cent of the UK's energy needs.
"The cost-of-living crisis is becoming desperate, with thousands of West of Englanders fearful for how they’ll get through the winter," Mr Norris said.
"They need short term support from government, which is why Labour’s fully-funded £29 billion plan to freeze the energy price cap, saving the typical West of England family £1,000, and so help people through the difficult months ahead, is so important.
"But we’ve got to bring bills down in the long term too.
"The Severn Estuary project would be one of the world’s first tidal lagoon power plants, supplying a significant proportion of the UK’s energy needs and helping cut those sky-high energy bills.
"With the second highest tidal range anywhere in the planet, it’s a no brainer the UK’s first pathfinder project be here in the West.
"Not only would it be great for UK plc, but we could export this clean, green technology around the world, creating thousands of high-quality jobs in the process."
At the same time as Mr Norris pushes for a tidal lagoon, a major campaign backed by a mix of business leaders and other local politicians is aiming to bring the UK's first nuclear fusion power plant to the Severn Estuary, as another means of creating green energy.
A group called the Western Gateway, which brings together key stakeholders from the West of England and South Wales, wants to see a plant built at sites in Oldbury and Berkeley in South Gloucestershire.
In June a letter backing the idea was handed into the government in Westminster, arguing such a plant would create over 30,000 jobs and provide an extra £3.5 billion of output for the economy.
Mr Norris, who represents Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire, has refused to back that idea though, arguing a tidal lagoon makes more sense.
"Nuclear is not my first choice I have to be honest," he said, speaking to us in June.
"I remember when previous nuclear power stations were built, this is fusion it's a different system, but, they always talk up the benefits and there's huge prices and costs associated with these things, and they don't necessarily deliver in the way that we think.
"We have got this amazing advantage in our region, a global advantage actually that we have the second highest tidal range anywhere in the planet.
"High tide happens twice a day, reliably, we know that's going to happen and we've got to somehow harness that energy that's there for the taking if we just know how to do it properly and well.
"I think that's the more exciting thing."
Asked to comment on Mr Norris' latest statement, a spokesperson for the government told us there is "tremendous energy potential" in Britain's coastlines, bays and estuaries.
“We are committed to exploring the potential of tidal power as a cheap, clean, homegrown source of energy and remain open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the power of our waves.”