Estuary tidal gateways planned to generate energy

Plan would see a road run across the tidal gateway connecting Dumfries and Galloway with Workington, Cumbria

A £12 billion ‘tidal gateway’ project that would link the south-west of Scotland with Cumbria has been proposed by North West Energy Squared (NWE²).

The tidal gateway would harness energy from the change in tide twice a day, with the water passing through turbines to generate electricity. The plan would see a road run across the tidal gateway connecting Dumfries and Galloway with Workington, Cumbria. It is part of a wider project that aims to build connected tidal gateways across the six main estuaries of the North West coastline.

Chairman Alan Torevell said that the first tidal gateway to be built will be at Morecambe Bay, in part due to its central location. He said: “Once proved by building, we can then move seamlessly north to the Solway estuary in Cumbria and south to the Ribble estuary near Merseyside.”

Torevell said it was a tried-and-tested technology and pointed to the Rance tidal power station in Brittany, France, that has been generating energy with its 24 turbines for the past 50 years. 

The £8 billion Morecambe Bay project is expected to produce 6.48TWh a year, which would power 1.5 million homes. It is in a two-year planning phase, with a six-year build phase expected to begin in 2018. 

For the past six months NWE² has been on a “winning hearts and minds programme” talking to local councils and communities. Torevell maintained that the plans have met with very little resistance, with a few minor concerns over the impact to wildlife. 

These concerns will be addressed during the planning phase which includes an environmental impact assessment, design planning with a team at the University of Lancaster and a ‘major turbine manufacturer,’ and an economic development report.