Severn Barrage Details To Be Investigated

The components of a feasibility study into the Severn Barrage have been announced.  The Severn Barrage is a tidal power plant that could create about 5% of UK electricity.
The government said the entire terms of the project and the impact it could have on creating secure energy supplies and tackling climate change was “breathtaking”.
The study will also look at environmental features such as lagoons, and also the wider picture of the entire social, environmental and economic impacts.
One form proposed for the barrage is an extension from the South Wales coast to Weston-super-Mare.   The barrage would use the power of this estuary to power a hydro-electric dam with turbines.  However, the water running through the turbines would not be filled by water flowing downstream, but rather by the incoming tide.
The study is expected to last two years and will finish with a full public consultation in 2010.
Business secretary John Hutton commented: “The Severn Estuary has some of the best tidal potential in the world and could more than double the current UK supply of renewable electricity.
“We must understand the cost and the impact that a project of this scale could have, not least the environmental, social and economic effects.”
Hutton added that there was no doubt as to the need to take revolutionary steps to tackle climate change.  He believes that the UK faces “tough choices” and must consider all possible low carbon alternatives.
Some environmental groups have cautioned against the barrage because it could have a detrimental effect on wildlife.