Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon moves forward with planning consent

Significant step forward for this “game-changer” of a project.

Planning consent has been granted for the £1Bn Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.

This is a landmark project and decision, as it will hasten the development of the world’s first tidal lagoon power plant that when completed, could generate up to 500GWh each year of low carbon electricity.

The recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State and the decision, have given consent for the construction of this tidal lagoon, boasting a nominal capacity of 240MW.

It follows the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation that was made back in March after the submission of an examination in February.

Again, this project is breaking new ground given that this is the very first tidal lagoon project that has been examined by the Planning Inspectorate.

Progress at Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon has been made in recent weeks with a £25M contract awarded to Alun Griffiths for the public realm and ancillary works, and preferred bidder status given to Laing O’Rourke who will construct the £200M, 410-metre turbine house and sluice structure block.

The project will harness low carbon electricity that will be sustainable for generations and Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon will be able to generate power for more than 150,000 homes for 120 years.

The planning consent is a massive boost in the move towards a mixture of low carbon and homegrown energy.

Mark Shorrock is the Chief Executive of Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Plc, which has been established to deliver, own and operate the tidal lagoon power plant. He reacted to the planning consent by describing the project as a “game-changer” that will lead the way for other lagoons to follow a similar path in future.

He said: “What a day for Wales and the building of a Welsh powerhouse.

“Thank you everyone in Swansea and Port Talbot for supporting Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. Thank you to all the experts who contributed work to the 5,000 pages of planning application. Thank you to the UK and Welsh authorities for their robust and professional consideration of our proposals. Thank you to the tidal lagoon team that has worked tirelessly to get us here.

“With the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon becoming a reality, locking in 120-year life, zero carbon energy infrastructure, we have the potential to help transform our industrial economy and the UK’s energy mix.

“From Rugby to Pembroke Dock, from Sheffield to Swansea Bay, from Chepstow to Port Talbot, companies are working in the supply chain to prepare for the delivery of a new approach to energy infrastructure. Through a single project we have the opportunity to create a whole new industry. And in a single step, that project can take us to low cost, renewable energy on a nuclear scale.

“We see it as a game-changer, a scalable blueprint, paving the way for a fleet of lagoons that can work in harmony with nature to help secure the nation’s electricity for generations to come. The tidal lagoons that follow – at Cardiff, at Newport, elsewhere in the UK and overseas – must each make their own compelling social, environmental and economic case to proceed. But they have a pilot project to guide them and a blossoming technical and industrial network to support them.”

The development of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is also set to boost local employment in the area, as those who will be employed will be picked from the south Wales area, while materials will be sourced locally.

Energy and Climate Change and Wales Office Minister, Lord Bourne, explained the reasons for the planning consent, adding: “We need more clean and homegrown sources of energy, which will help to reduce our reliance on foreign fossil fuels.

“Low carbon energy projects like the tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay could bring investment, support local jobs and help contribute to the Welsh economy and Swansea area.”

The plan is for the lagoon to be connected up to the National Grid by 2018, with work starting next year, but before that, Contract for Difference (CfD) negotiations have to be completed.

This has to show that the lagoon is both affordable and value for money for consumers.

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