Welsh Assembly Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development
Wales could become leader in cutting edge tidal industry
Launching its tidal power report today (1st October) the Sustainable Development Commission identifies exciting opportunities for developing a cutting edge tidal industry in Wales.
Extensive research alongside public and stakeholder engagement has revealed that around 10% of the UK’s energy needs could be provided by a combination of tidal stream and tidal range resources, with around 50% of the UK’s total resource lying off the coast of Wales.
Commissioner Peter Davies said:
"This report suggest that there is enormous potential across Wales to develop tidal energy, which, along with our tremendous wind power resource, could make Wales a leader in the field of renewable energy."
The SDC’s findings highlight a considerable range of tidal resources across Wales, including the Severn Estuary. On a Severn barrage, the Commission sets out the conditions under which it could be considered sustainable:
• Full compliance with the European Directives on habitats and birds is vital, as is a long-term commitment to creating compensatory habitats on a unprecedented scale
• A Severn barrage must be publicly led as a project and publicly owned as an asset to avoid short-termist decisions and ensure the long-term public interest
• Development of a Severn barrage must not divert Government attention away from much wider action on climate change
Commentators have speculated about the potential of tidal lagoons as a sustainable energy source, but until a project is developed, there is little information about the real economic and environmental impacts. The Commission also found no evidence to support the proposal that large-scale tidal lagoon development in the Severn Estuary would be environmentally or economically preferable to a barrage.
The Commission therefore recommends that Government seeks to develop the world’s first tidal lagoon demonstration project, responding to strong public interest in the lagoon concept, and enabling the collection of essential environmental and economic data.
The research also indicates that tidal stream technologies could make a substantial contribution to the sustainable energy strategies of the devolved administrations, with tidal stream resources concentrated in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Commissioner Peter Davies said:
"The emerging potential of tidal power is an exciting opportunity for Wales, with the excellent resources that exist around our borders. The possibility that the first tidal lagoon in the world could realistically be developed in Wales is an exciting and genuine prospect. This, alongside investment in tidal stream technology could see the generation of large amounts of renewable energy, but also new expertise and skills in Wales, which could bring significant long-term and international export potential.
We are all aware that we need to secure low carbon energy sources as we continue to see the effects of climate change, and the potential of a Severn barrage in this respect is very real. However, any development must be balanced against the impact on the estuary’s unique habitats, and on communities and industries in the region. There is a very important role for the Welsh Assembly Government in ensuring that this happens.
Tidal power is only part of the solution, and cannot divert attention away from the real and continuing need across Wales, and worldwide, to reduce energy consumption, improve energy efficiency and decarbonise energy supplies. There is no easy fix or single solution, and while opportunities to utilise Wales’ tidal resource for low carbon energy are promising, it can only be one part of a major long-term strategy for reducing carbon emissions."
 | Download: Tidal Power in the UK (Fersiwn Cymraeg) |
Notes to Editors
1. For more information and interviews, contact Rahel Jones on 02920 821701/07970 741047 or email rahel.jones@sd-commission.org.uk, or alternatively Rhian Thomas on 020 7270 8539 / 07793 544 162, or email rhian.thomas@sd-commission.org.uk
2. The Sustainable Development Commission is the Government’s independent advisory body on sustainability issues, made up of 19 Commissioners and chaired by Jonathon Porritt. It reports directly to the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland.
3. Tidal Power in the UK was funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA), the Scottish Government, and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Northern Ireland).
4. Turning the Tide, Tidal Power in the UK is available to download free at www.sd-commission.org.uk. For hard copies, please contact the Sustainable Development Commission on 020 7270 8263 or email Edward.Clark@sd-commission.org.uk
5. Background research reports and accounts of public and stakeholder engagement are also available to download from the Sustainable Development Commission website.
