Global engineering giant Alstom is planning to design and construct the generators for the £650 million proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project – the group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tidal Lagoon Power Limited, the company behind the scheme.
The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is being promoted and developed by Tidal Lagoon Power - the firm’s focus is the development of a series of tidal lagoons to generate renewable energy from the rise and fall of the considerable tidal range to be found in Welsh and UK waters. A community share offer will be launched on 10 June 2013.
Capable of generating electricity equivalent to Swansea’s entire domestic consumption, the proposed 250MW power plant in Swansea Bay will produce predictable, baseload electricity for 16 hours each day, using both the ebb and flood tides. It will save over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for its design life of over 100 years.
The project represents an investment of £650 million, and according to Tidal Lagoon Power, the development company behind the scheme, is a significant opportunity for Wales to take the lead in the tidal industry for the UK. The power plant could be connected to the National Grid and be ‘power ready’ in 2017, creating significant opportunities for local suppliers and manufacturers.
The firm has just asnnounced the appointment of Ioan Jenkins as Development Director for Wales to front its development activities.
Commenting on his new role, Mr Jenkins said:
“As a nation, we are rich in energy resources. We must harness those resources to create a more prosperous future for Wales and tidal energy should be at the heart of this as mining once was. Political support is essential if we are to maximise the benefit that energy can deliver for Wales so I will be looking to work closely with Welsh Government and the various statutory bodies to ensure that we can, once again, be seen as a global centre for energy.”
“What’s more, we’ll be doing all that we can to maximise opportunities for the supply chain here in Wales as the Swansea project will hopefully be the first in a network of lagoons around the UK coastline, driving a critical change in our energy mix with low cost, low carbon electricity sources that are sustainable long-term. This will create opportunities for local businesses and manufacturers along with a significant number of jobs, which will be local wherever possible. ”
Mark Shorrock, Chief Executive of Tidal Lagoon Power added:
“Climate change and energy security are major challenges for the UK but they also present a golden opportunity for Wales, particularly in the current economic climate.”
“Wales has 1200km of coastline, strategically located deep sea ports, accessible grid infrastructure, a strong manufacturing and skills base, up to 6.2GW of estimated generating capacity and a resource that is ideally suited to the current phase of the industry. That’s why we are so focussed on our vision to deliver 10,000MW of power from the tidal range in the UK and thus change the energy mix to home-grown, low carbon energy that creates local jobs, training opportunities, cheap power and local long term amenities for the communities who host the lagoons. We are delighted to have Ioan on board as we prepare to launch our community share offer and progress towards planning in Swansea along with more detailed analysis of further sites in Wales.”
Glasgow-based company, SgurrEnergy, part of Wood Group, is the strategic advisor for the project, providing a range of technical services and strategic support to TLP.
A key focus has been to support a thorough understanding of the project’s technical and commercial risk profile, helping TLP to develop a well-informed project development strategy aligned with achieving its required investment potential.
Advice has been given by SgurrEnergy on electricity generation design and technology, construction methodology and contract and technical documentation to help support the project through to financial close and ensure its bankability.
Detailed plans for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon are now being finalised with the launch of the community share offer expected shortly and formal consultation due to begin in July 2013. The application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate will be submitted in the late autumn of 2013.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Börger UK, which has firmly established itself as a leading pump brand since it was set up in Staffordshire in 2004, has moved into bigger, brand-new premises in Shrewsbury.
HUBER Technology UK & Ireland are inviting people to register for their March webinar where they will be providing information about HUBER water intake screens for municipal and industrial applications.
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.