DECC selects Hendry to lead lagoon review

Review will assess the case for tidal lagoons and whether they could play a cost effective role as part of the UK energy mix

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that industry expert Charles Hendry will lead the independent review of tidal lagoons with the support of a team of seconded civil servants.

Hendry was minister of state for energy from May 2010 until September 2012. Since leaving ministerial office he has undertaken a wide range of roles, including as president of the British Institute of Energy Economics, chair of the Forewind Consortium from 2013-2015, and commissioner of the UK Pavilion at the Future Energy Expo in Kazakhstan 2017.

The review will assess the strategic case for tidal lagoons and whether they could play a cost effective role as part of the UK energy mix. The review will also help establish an evidence base to ensure all decisions made regarding tidal lagoon energy are in the best interest of the UK. Its findings are expected to be announced in the Autumn.

Nick Baveystock, director general of the Institute of Civil Engineering, said: “We welcome the announcement of an independent review into the value of tidal lagoons as a means of broadening the UK’s energy mix. Energy powers all infrastructure networks, as well as homes and businesses, so it is vital that the UK has a clear and coherent energy policy, particularly if we are to achieve legally binding decarbonisation targets.

“Independent reviews and commissions provide politicians with a strong evidence base; however, without timely decision making the independent process is undermined. That is why we call on a decisive decision following the conclusions from the Hendry Review,” he added.

The UK government said in February it will conduct a review of tidal lagoon technology to see how such projects could contribute to the future of the country’s mix “in the most cost effective way”.