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Picture: Nicholas Cottrell
Somerset Wildlife Trust has been heavily involved in the debate over generating tidal energy from the Severn Estuary, including proposals for a large barrage, which would be disastrous for wildlife.
The Government's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has consulted the public on a number of aspects of Severn energy generation, including a shortlist of options.
Somerset Wildlife Trust's reponse can be found here
The current Wildlife Trust's policy on Severn tidal energy generation can be found here
A joint statement by a number of environmental organisations on the feasibility study can be found here
Lisa Schneidau, SWT’s Leader of Living Landscapes, takes a closer look at this complicated issue, and outlines what you can do about it.
The push for green energy
The UK Government has signed up to European targets to generate 20% of the UK’s energy from renewables by 2020, and to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. These are ambitious targets, and they can only be a good thing. Climate change is a major threat to society and wildlife alike.
In 2007 the Government announced a major new study to identify options for wave energy generation in the Severn Estuary. In January 2009 the first results of the study were announced by Government, and a shortlist of 5 schemes proposed. These are:
* Shoots Barrage – located near the Severn road crossings
* Beachley Barrage – slightly smaller and further upstream than the Shoots Barrage (and upstream of the Wye
* Fleming Lagoon – an impoundment on the Welsh shore of the Estuary between Newport and the Severn road crossings
* Bridgwater Bay Lagoon – an impoundment on the English shore of the Estuary between Hinkley Point and Weston Super Mare
* Cardiff-Weston Barrage - located between Brean Down and Lavernock Point
A disaster for wildlife?
The Severn Estuary lies at the mouth of four major rivers, the Severn Wye, Usk and Avon, together forming a huge and complex ecosystem. It is internationally recognised and protected for its huge areas of mudflat and saltmarsh (intertidal habitat), bird populations, migratory fish and geomorphological features. The rich diversity of wildlife associated with the Severn Estuary is a result of the dynamic nature of the estuary, with the second largest tidal range in the world.
All five shortlisted energy schemes would have a significant environmental impact, but the Cardiff-Weston barrage would be the most damaging, causing loss of 20,000 hectares of mudflat and saltmarsh, and possible extinction of migratory fish. It would produce the most electricity of the five published options, but it would need tens of billions of pounds of public money in order to be viable. The Cardiff-Weston barrage is being promoted most heavily by engineering and most commercial interests.
A further two options – tidal reef and tidal fence – may be researched during 2009 using Government funding. The tidal reef is an interesting possibility – stretching from Minehead to Aberthaw, it could potentially generate even more energy than a Cardiff-Weston barrage but with much less environmental damage.
The Wildlife Trusts’ view
The Wildlife Trusts' support renewable energy generation, but we believe that any tidal energy option for the Severn must pass stringent tests to ensure that it is truly sustainable. The chosen option must be least damaging to the environment and least damaging to the public purse, as well as generating a high level of electricity. The Government must also comply with international wildlife legislation, such as the Habitats and Birds Directives and Ramsar commitments.
We are contributing to the Government’s studies and working with other environmental organisations to encourage the best choices possible. It is clear even at this early stage, however, that:
* the Cardiff-Weston barrage option would cause unacceptable damage to the wildlife of the Estuary at huge expense
* the tidal reef option deserves urgent research.
Make your voice heard!
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has consulted the general public on the shortlist of Severn tidal energy options, which closed on 23 April. Read our response above and a huge thank you to everyone who has responded.
More updates when we have them.