UK tidal lagoon development comes to a halt
Plans for the Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay, a 320MW energy project being built off the coast of the UK, have come to a halt as developers wait for the government to finalise a contract for difference (CfD).
With, the government taking longer than expected to settle the contract to guarantee the price of the electricity, Tidal Lagoon Power, the company building the lagoon, says work is now pushed back til spring 2017.
A spokesperson for Tidal Lagoon Power told Maritime Journal: “We are nearing the end of the Advanced Works Phase and good progress has been made with our preferred construction partners. Detailed design work has progressed and the construction programme has been integrated.”
“The end of this phase of activity means that we’ll be ready to build once the remaining permissions have been secured and financial close with investors is achieved. The Board of Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Plc has concluded that this won’t be possible by year-end, ruling out the start of marine works next spring,” the spokesperson added.
Following this, Tidal Lagoon Power told MJ a new timetable has been agreed with tier one contractors: targeting financial close next summer.
“Our aim is to then start the initial civil works on site in autumn 2016 in order that the marine works can start in spring 2017. As a result, target power on moves to 2021,” they concluded.
The proposed project will be the world’s first man-made energy-generating lagoon, with a 320MW installed capacity and 14 hours of reliable generation every day. Once up and running, it’s expected to provide clean, renewable energy for over 155,000 homes for 120 years and will contribute towards national carbon emission reduction targets – saving over 236,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
By Rachael Doyle
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