Being a big believer that we need to tap the energy potential of the Severn Estuary and no friend of a Severn Barrage I welcome the report produced by Regen SW and Marine Energy Matters on the energy potential of the Severn Estuary, which suggests that the estuary could generate 14GW of energy and create massive economic benefits without resorting to a financially costly (£34 billion pounds) and widespread environmental damage of a Severn barrage.
Tidal fence
The report (‘Bristol Channel Energy: A Balanced Technology Approach) found that by using a combination of renewable energies more low-carbon energy could be generated than that previously offered by proposals for a full Severn barrage. The report suggests using tidal lagoons and tidal fences, deployed in conjunction with tidal stream technology, wave and wind power to harness the “massive” energy potential of the estuary.
Tidal Turbines
Energy generation schemes in the Severn Estuary can benefit the communities on both sides of the estuary. It’s time for the Welsh Government to wake up and start the ball rolling with some tidal lagoon and tidal turbine development projects to test the already existing technology.
We in Wales are certainly well placed when it comes to potential for sustainable energy generation in terms of resources, people and skills. Our country has an abundance of natural resources whose potential, if sustainably developed could both protect the environment and help grow green jobs and balanced sustainable energy economy.
The potentially fatal combination of Peter Hain’s desperate search for gainful employment (with no doubt much emphasis on the gain) and David Cameron’s attempts to save face by finding a Plan B to restore economic growth, offers us (again) yet another version of the all singing and all dancing Severn Barrage. That aside, we do need to seriously discuss making best use of the renewable energy potential of the Severn estuary and to seriously consider a wide range of options to develop as much energy as possible.
As I have said before, when I was young there Fantasy Island (on TV), now we will have Fantasy Barrage, which promises all things to all people all the time – but at a price - financially for starters we are now talking about up to £30 - 34 billion pounds. The resurrection of the Severn Barrage scheme (yet again) should make us wonder about the sanity (financial or otherwise) or the sincerity of some of the usual suspects.
I have no doubt that the usual glib fatuous statements about the project being the solution to all of South Wales’s economic and transport woes will continue to be trotted out. If it sounds too good because it simply is - it's a fantasy, yes we need to develop the renewable energy resources of the Severn estuary, and we would be certifiable not too.
A combination of tidal lagoons, tidal fences, and turbines based in tidal current rich areas and wave energy generation technology (currently being tested off Scotland) and some carefully situated off-shore wind farms could generate a significant amount of sustainable energy with significantly less environmental damage, and generate sustainable jobs and exportable technology to boot.
New Labour and the Conservatives failure to honour their Welsh general election manifesto promise in 2011 to increase the 1 MW limit for off-shore and 50 MW for on-shore threshold for planning for energy projects does not help us here in Wales. This failure effectively prevents the development of potential energy schemes above that threshold as they have to be decided in Westminster rather than in Wales.
Plaid MP Jonathan Edwards (in January 2012) called for energy powers to be transferred to the Welsh Government, his bill would have given the Welsh Government powers over energy generation in Wales. The bill (blocked by Labour and Conservative MPs, defeated by 239 votes to 44) would have ensured equality with Scotland and Northern Ireland and would have meant that Wales would have been better placed to fight fuel poverty with responsibility for our own resources.
I have some serious concerns about any Severn Barrage, it does not generate enough energy over a long enough period to justify the cost and it would be environmentally damaging. A more logical solution would be to build tidal lagoons, one in Swansea Bay would be ideal to test out the technology but has been repeatedly stalled and delayed by a hostile Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and then powerless (but now vision-less and clueless) Welsh Government.
The last thing we need to do is limit the amount of sustainable energy we can develop, we need to maximise the period of generation well beyond the 3 hour energy pulse offered by all previous incarnations of the barrage. A combination of tidal lagoons and other energy schemes could offer release energy for a far longer period than 3 hours and minimise any damage to the environment. By using a variety of options we could generate sustainable jobs and make Wales a world leader in developing the energy generation technology.
It is time for a renewed debate on how we can harness the renewable energy potential of the Severn estuary. We need to consider a wide range of options to develop as much energy as possible without wrecking the environment. Now as I have said before, when I was a child there Fantasy Island was on TV, now it appears we will have Fantasy Barrage, which promises all things to all people all the time – but at a price - financially for starters we are now talking about up to £34 billion pounds.
The resurrection of the Severn Barrage scheme (yet again) could make you wonder about the sanity (financial or otherwise) of some of the usual suspects. I have no doubt that the usual glib fatuous statements about the project being the solution to all of South Wales’s economic and transport woes will be trotted. If it sounds too good because it simply is - it's a fantasy, yes we need to develop the renewable energy resources of the Severn estuary, we would be certifiable not too.
A combination of tidal lagoons, tidal fences, turbines based in tidal current rich areas and wave energy generation technology (currently being tested off Scotland) and some carefully situated off-shore wind farms could generate a significant amount of sustainable energy with significantly less environmental damage and jobs to boot. Perhaps if the Labour and the Conservatives had honoured their Welsh general election manifesto promise (in 2011) to increase the present 50 MW limit (which prevents the development of potential energy schemes above that threshold) as they are decided in Westminster rather than in Wales.
Back in January, Plaid MP Jonathan Edwards called for energy powers to be transferred to the Welsh Government, his bill would have given the Welsh Government powers over energy generation in Wales. The bill would also have ensured equality with Scotland and Northern Ireland and would have meant that Wales would have been better placed to fight fuel poverty with responsibility for our own resources.
Very fair and entirely reasonable you might think, but Mr Edwards motion was voted down by Labour MPs, who were more than happy to team up with Conservatives MPs to stop their own party in Wales taking these powers. The proposal was defeated by 239 votes to 44 after Labour and Conservative MPs teamed up together against the Bill.
I and more than a few other people have some serious concerns about any Severn Barrage, firstly is does not generate enough energy over a long enough period to justify the cost and it would be environmentally damaging. A more logical solution would be to build tidal lagoons, one in Swansea Bay would be ideal to test out the technology but has been repeatedly stalled and delayed by a hostile Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and previously powerless (but now vision-less) Welsh Government.
We need to maximise the period of generation well beyond the 3 hour energy pulse offered by previous incarnations of the barrage have offered. This is something that a combination of tidal lagoons and other energy schemes could offer release energy for a far longer period than 3 hours. By using a variety of options we could generate sustainable jobs and skills not to mention make Wales a world leader in developing the energy generation technology.
I welcomed the news that former Wales and Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has resigned - perhaps jumped before he was pushed would have been closer to the truth - from the shadow cabinet - I for one won't miss him. The news that he plans to act as effectively a salaried lobbyist (for he remains paid by us as MP for Neath) to campaign for a barrage across the Severn estuary, did little to excite me. His desire for gainful employment should be welcomed, but, I would ask just exactly who he will be representing in the House of Commons? And should he not declare an interest?
When I was a child there was a TV programme called Fantasy Island, now it seems we have Fantasy Barrage, which makes much of promising all things to all people – but at a price (financially we are now talking about up to £34 billion pounds). The resurrection of the Severn Barrage scheme (once again) could make you wonder about the sanity (financial or otherwise) of some of the usual suspects. I have no doubt that the usual suspects will trot out the usual glib statements about the project being the solution to all of South Wales’s economic woes.
It sounds good the problem is that it's a fantasy, yes we need to develop the renewable energy resources of the Severn estuary, we would be mad not too. I have serious concerns about any Severn Barrage, firstly is does not generate enough energy over a log enough period and secondly it would be environmentally damaging. A more logical solution would be to build tidal lagoons (one in Swansea Bay would be ideal to test out the technology but has been repeatedly stalled and delayed by a hostile Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and previously powerless (but now vision-less) Welsh Government.
A combination of tidal lagoons, tidal fences, turbines based in tidal current rich areas and wave energy generation technology (currently being tested in Scotland) and some carefully situated off-shore wind farms could generate a significant amount of sustainable energy. The need is to stretch the period of generation beyond the 3 hour energy pulse offered by previous incarnations of the barrage have offered. This is something that a combination of tidal lagoons and other energy schemes could offer release energy for a far longer period than 3 hours. By using a variety of options we could generate sustainable jobs and skills not to mention make Wales a world leader in developing the energy generation technology – any takers?
Standing on the edge of the age of scarcity as we are, it seems only fair and reasonable that Wales’s natural resources should be controlled by and developed for the Welsh people. The Crown Estate with its urban, rural and marine holdings across the UK, including the seabed and large areas of land, stands to profit from renewable energy developments and off-shore dredging.
South Wales
News that the Crown Estate announced a 9% increase in its profits in the last financial year despite the wider economy barely growing across the UK, merely adds a degree of urgency. The Crown Estate in Wales is important, not as a profit making body, but because they own much of the land and sea-waters which could be exploited to make a profit for the Welsh people.
The seabed around Wales should be used to develop tidal energy and other renewable energy sources, as well as large parts of land in Wales for the benefit of the Welsh people. Offshore in 09/10 in the UK, the Crown Estates made £15.5m from dredging activities, £14.3m from coastal activities, £11.5m from cables and pipelines and a further £3.5m from renewable resources. UK wide the Crown Estate has nearly £600m of offshore property.
It is not unreasonable to call for the land and energy resources of Wales to be used to benefit the Welsh people. Wales has real opportunities here to be a world leader when it comes to developing renewable energy, something that could create thousands of sustainable jobs, make money through research and development which should be re-invested in our economy for future years.
North East Wales
Unfortunately when it came to resource ownership (and so many other things) this kind of forward thinking is something which New Labour did little to develop or encourage when it was in Government in Westminster for 13 out of the last 14 years. Once again New Labour (in Wales) has yet again let our country fall behind – so much for standing up for Wales!
Much has been made about the development of on-shore alternatives to oil, which in the UK include oil shale, the extraction of methane gas, and gas fracturing, the development of which may have significant environmental impact on our communities and our country. Experience from Canada goes to show not just the environmental impact of tar sands extraction but the energy and resource impact as well.
There is no cure to oil depletion; simply using what we have left more efficiently won't help us in the long term, merely delay the inevitable. The bottom line is that we are all too dependent on high levels of energy consumption; we have to consume less and fundamentally change the nature of our energy supply. To be plain and simple it's both plan for and transform our energy supplies with renewable or lights out!
A couple of things caught my attention, one of which was the fact that the Westminster Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is investigating whether the rate of Corporation Tax should be cut. The UK Government chancellor is planning to reduce the tax in the UK from 28% to 24% over the next four years however corporation tax in the Republic of Ireland is only 12.5%. At the moment MPs are considering whether Northern Ireland should have a similar or lower rate of Corporation Tax, something that will help attract investment and provide opportunities for business growth...so why can we not do the same thing here in Wales.
In Scotland, plans for a huge tidal energy project which is set to be developed in the Pentland Firth after the rights to the site were awarded to a consortium by the Crown Estate. The Inner Sound, which lies between the Caithness coast and island of Stroma, as one of the Firth's "most energetic" tidal areas. The proposed scheme could involve up to 400 submerged turbines, generating enough energy to power 400,000 homes with a 25-year operational lease for the site was awarded to MeyGen.
This is a joint venture between tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources Corporation, International Power and investment bank Morgan Stanley. The news of the award of the lease comes after two years of feasibility work in the waters of the Pentland Firth. Obviously this is subject to planning consent, the consortium plans to install hundreds of turbines in the Inner Sound area and construction is expected to take place on a phased basis until 2020. The real good news is that project will be one of the biggest in the world, with the potential to generate up to 400MW of sustainable renewable power. So why not here in Wales...
The Severn Barrage was always an expensive unsustainable ‘silver bullet which was relentlessly pushed by New Labour's Peter Hain (and his ilk) to show off their allegedly green credentials, but, in truth it was more likely to have been used to offset the emissions from newly expanded Heathrow. There were plenty of opportunities to invest in and develop smaller, sustainable, less environmentally damaging and more credible renewable energy schemes in the estuary (and elsewhere), such as tidal lagoons and tidal reefs, which would have generated significant amounts of energy (with a far longer period of generation) with significantly less environmental damage, yet New Labour Government conspicuously failed to do so.
We should not expect too much from the Com Dem Coalition Government - it has already quietly shelved plans (17th August) for an independent inquiry into the £25bn-a-year energy industry which has been subject to repeated criticism surrounding accusations of profiteering on electricity and gas. So it should come as no surprise to even the most impartial observers of the consequences of a warm unquestioning and financial rewarding relationship (in cash and kind) between the political parties within the Westminster village (and without) and the energy supply companies.
For sometime before the last Westminster general election, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats made repeated criticisms of New Labour for its failure to tackle prices charged by the Big Six suppliers. Both the opposition parties demanded an inquiry by the Competition Commission. There was a hope that an inquiry into the nefarious activities of the energy supply cartel (sorry companies) might have had the power to reform the industry, encourage new entrants to break the hold of players such as British Gas, EDF and the others on 99 per cent of the market and even possibly impose price caps.
Sadly the ConDem government is equally unimaginative and lacks any aspirational vision for future sustainable green energy development. This failure to invest in renewable energy in the Severn Estuary is unforgivable and clearly shows why it is so important that energy powers be devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. We have rich natural resources and here in Wales we should priorities the development of sustainable, renewable energy. The lands of the Crown Estate off the Welsh shoreline and powers to develop major energy infrastructure must also be devolved immediately to the Welsh Assembly if we are to make any realistic progress on these important issues.
Our country is pretty well off when it comes to natural renewable resources for energy production, I am glad to see that we are finally beginning to follow Scotland's example of harnessing the potential of renewable energy. A generation scheme off Ynys Mon , promoted by Marine Current Turbines and RWE npower renewables plans to generate a fifth of the island's electricity needs from the £70m project, with seven turbines between the Skerries and Carmel Head acting as underwater windmills, if the plans are approved.
There are other potential spots where we can generate sustainable energy not to mention the readily exportable skills and technologies that can help to sustain and develop our economy over the next decades and help to tackle Climate Change. Here in Wales, when it comes to power generation there are real job opportunities; there is absolutely no reason why the renewable energy sector can not play an immensely important role in creating more green energy jobs not to mention sustainable secure and safe energy supplies.
There is a need to create a decentralised power generation system which will create sustainable long-term jobs for local people, not damage the environment and contribute to providing our local communities with a long-term viable economic energy future. Sadly I suspect that there will be little new from David Cameron's Con Dem's over the next few years - if the coalition lasts that long - and even less leadership on the green energy issue. It need not be this way, away from the Westminster village and the dead hand of Whitehall, things are already happening.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government has plans to tackle the threat of Climate change, with plans for a 42% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, rising to 80% by 2050. These proposals which were first unveiled last year are far more ambitious than anything that has been proposed in Westminster in recent years, where the 2020 target (set before the Con Dems came to power) for cutting carbon emissions has been set at 34%. The Scottish Government has already set out a wide-ranging vision to address climate change, which includes a drive to boost renewable energy such as wind and wave power.
Scottish Ministers also aim to see significant progress in boosting the energy efficiency of buildings, increase the number of electric vehicles on the roads and aim to cut in emissions across the farming and rural sector. This is serious forward thinking on the part of the Scottish government as energy experts have for several years been consistently warning of a serious future shortfall in Britain's energy supplies.
This will be as a result of the rapid depletion of Britain's North Sea gas reserves, the increasingly tough regulations on carbon emissions from Britain's ageing coal-fired power plants and the planned decommissioning of 14 of 15 existing nuclear generating stations by 2025.
Now is definitely the time for control of energy policy to be devolved to the National Assembly and time for some original non nuclear thinking and a fundamental sea change in attitude from government in Wales when it comes to energy policy. Imagine what we could do if the National Assembly possessed similar powers to develop the alternative energy sector here in Wales as in Scotland.
In Wales, we need real direction when it comes to the development of safe and secure energy resources, power generation can provide the potential for real sustainable long term job opportunities; the renewable energy sector can and should play an immensely important role in creating more green energy jobs.
