Mersey Barrage

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Mersey Barrage
Buildings near Princes Dock, Liverpool - from the Mersey Ferry.jpg
The Mersey waterfront at Liverpool
Mersey.png
The River Mersey is highlighted in blue
interactive map
Coordinates: 53°27′00″N3°01′59″W / 53.45°N 3.033°W / 53.45; -3.033
Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, a model for the Mersey Barrage Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station aerial view.jpg
Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, a model for the Mersey Barrage

The Mersey Barrage is a proposed scheme for building a tidal barrage across the Mersey Estuary. In December 2022, the Liverpool City Region mayor announced cooperation between the City Region and K-water of South Korea, who built and operates the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, in order to construct a similar operation on the River Mersey. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The River Mersey is considered to be a suitable source of marine renewable energy in the United Kingdom, due to its strong current and tidal range of up to 10 m (33 ft). [3] [4] The tidal range is the second highest in the United Kingdom. [5]

A Department of the Environment and UKAEA report in 1984 identified a site between New Brighton and Brocklebank Dock for a Mersey barrage. [6]

A 2006 study by Peel Holdings and the North West Development Agency identified the River Mersey as having considerable potential for tidal power. A pilot project, using a water wheel to harness tidal power, was considered at Bootle docks. [7] At the same time, a tidal barrage plan was evaluated, capable of generating 700 MW. [8]

A barrage scheme was abandoned in 2011, following a study by Peel Energy and the North West Development Agency. This proposal involved constructing a barrage between Dingle on the Liverpool bank and New Ferry on the Wirral bank. Although the study provided valuable insight, the preferred scheme was abandoned due to the expected lack of medium-term profitability. [9]

Steve Rotheram revived plans for a barrage as part of his 2017 election campaign. [10] The 2018 study indicated that economics were more favourable than previously, but still fell short by 20%. [11] In February 2020, following a year-long feasibility study, a tidal power proposal for the River Mersey was granted £2.5 million in funding to further develop the plan. [5] [12] The Mersey Tidal Power Project was launched as "a scoping project" in March 2024. [13] The projected power output is not stated but it is suggested that the scheme will be able to "power a million homes".

Economic impact

A Mersey barrage has been predicted to be capable of producing between 1.0 and 1.5  terawatt-hours of electricity per year (0.11 to 0.17 GW), which is equivalent to two-thirds of Liverpool's 2017 electricity requirement. [14] One design has proposed that cross-river public transport infrastructure is included in the construction. [15]

Environmental impact

The estuary is designated as an internationally important protected area, for wading birds, ducks and fish. The Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the Cheshire Wildlife Trust are monitoring the progress of the proposals, and the potential impact on existing habitat and wildlife within the estuary. [11] [16] Following a similar scheme with the Rance Tidal Power Station in Brittany, some marine fauna initially suffered, but a new equilibrium was achieved after ten years. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyside</span> County of England

Merseyside is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Welsh county of Flintshire across the Dee Estuary to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Mersey</span> Major river emptying into Liverpool Bay

The River Mersey is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Channel</span> Large inlet to the river Severn in southwest Great Britain

The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales and South West England. It extends from the smaller Severn Estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean. It takes its name from the English city and port of Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tidal power</span> Technology to convert the energy from tides into useful forms of power

Tidal power or tidal energy is harnessed by converting energy from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity using various methods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ribble</span> River in North Yorkshire and Lancashire, England

The River Ribble runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England. It starts close to the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, and is one of the few that start in the Yorkshire Dales and flow westwards towards the Irish Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Alt</span> River in Merseyside, England

The River Alt is an urban river that flows across Merseyside in England. The river has suffered from heavy pollution from industry and sewage upstream and run-off from farmland in its lower reaches. It empties into the River Mersey, near to where the Mersey itself flows into the Irish Sea. The river has benefited from clean-up schemes and a de-culverting process to improve its water quality and provide a better environment for wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severn Estuary</span> Estuary and Site of Special Scientific Interest in Great Britain

The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its very high tidal range, approximately 50 feet (15 m), creates valuable intertidal habitats and has led to the area being at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable tidal energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severn Barrage</span> Conceptual dam between England and Wales

The Severn Barrage is any of a range of ideas for building a barrage from the English coast to the Welsh coast over the Severn tidal estuary. Ideas for damming or barraging the Severn estuary have existed since the 19th century. The building of such a barrage would constitute an engineering project comparable with some of the world's biggest. The purposes of such a project have typically been one or several of: transport links, flood protection, harbour creation, or tidal power generation. In recent decades it is the latter that has grown to be the primary focus for barrage ideas, and the others are now seen as useful side-effects. Following the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study (2008–10), the British government concluded that there was no strategic case for building a barrage but to continue to investigate emerging technologies. In June 2013 the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee published its findings after an eight-month study of the arguments for and against the Barrage. MPs said the case for the barrage was unproven. They were not convinced the economic case was strong enough and said the developer, Hafren Power, had failed to answer serious environmental and economic concerns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in Scotland</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Waters</span> Proposed development in Liverpool, England

Liverpool Waters is a large scale £5.5bn development that has been proposed by the Peel Group in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The development will make use of a series of presently derelict dock spaces at Central Docks. From 2004 to 2021, much of the docks involved in the development were part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the development of these docks were cited as a reason for the revocation of Liverpool's World Heritage status. This is an area north of Liverpool's historic Pier Head. It is the sister programme of the Wirral Waters project. Since 2012 the two projects have held enterprise zone statuses, together forming the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone.

Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study is the name of a UK Government feasibility study into a tidal power project looking at the possibility of using the huge tidal range in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel to generate electricity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mersey Gateway Bridge</span> Toll bridge over the River Mersey

The Mersey Gateway Bridge is a toll bridge between Runcorn and Widnes in Cheshire, England, which spans the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. The crossing, which opened in October 2017, has three traffic lanes in each direction and is approximately 1.5 km east (upstream) of the older Silver Jubilee Bridge. It formed part of a wider project to upgrade the infrastructure around the Mersey crossings that included major civil engineering work to realign the road network, refurbish and add tolling to the Silver Jubilee Bridge, and build new interchanges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outer Trial Bank</span> Artificial island in the Wash

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Rotheram</span> British Labour politician

Steven Philip Rotheram is a British Labour politician who has served as the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tidal barrage</span> Dam-like structure

A tidal barrage is a dam-like structure used to capture the energy from masses of water moving in and out of a bay or river due to tidal forces.

Atlantic Gateway, sometimes referred to as Ocean Gateway, is a proposed redevelopment strategy for North West England, centering on the corridor between Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The proposal is for development backed by £50 billion of investment over 50 years, making it one of the most expensive and expansive development projects in UK history.

Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay was a proposed tidal lagoon power plant that was to be constructed in Swansea Bay off the south coast of Wales, United Kingdom. Development consent was granted by the UK government in June 2015, and in June 2018 the Welsh Government approved the plan and offered to invest £200 million; however, later that month the UK government withdrew its support on value-for-money grounds. Other options to enable the proposal to go ahead were reportedly still being explored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIMEC Atlantis Energy</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre Port</span>

Centre Port is a proposed development across The Wash in Eastern England, which would link Norfolk and Lincolnshire by road. The plan is to link Hunstanton in Norfolk, with Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire, creating an 11-mile (18 km) road, with a port and a railway at the midway point. Additionally the development would be a tidal barrage to prevent sea flooding, and would use tidal power to create enough electricity to power 600,000 homes. Whilst no formal plans have yet been submitted, the scheme has come under widespread criticism from those living in the area and from wildlife groups.

References

  1. "Plans for huge barrage across River Mersey progress after new agreement". 6 December 2022.
  2. "Mersey tidal power: Agreement signed with South Korean giant". BBC News. 6 December 2022.
  3. "Water way to power up area is considered". Cheshire Live. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  4. "Mersey wheel offers power". Planning Resource. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  5. 1 2 McDonough, Tony (6 October 2020). "Mersey can provide 100 years of clean energy". LBN Daily. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. "Tapping the Tidal Power Potential of the Eastern Irish Sea" (PDF). Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy Research. March 2009. pp. 51, 194 (per pdf). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  7. "Mersey ideal for renewable energy". BBC News. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  8. "Power from the Mersey". The Engineer. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  9. "Mersey Estuary tidal power scheme 'will not go ahead'". BBC News. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  10. "Mayor Steve Rotheram revives River Mersey tidal power plan". BBC News. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Mersey tidal energy". Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  12. "River Mersey tidal power plan granted £2.5m funding". BBC News. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  13. "Mersey Tidal Power". Liverpool City Region. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  14. "The Energy River: Realising Energy Potential from the River Mersey" (PDF). University of Liverpool. June 2017. p. 5. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  15. "Mersey Barrage – Infrastructure Design". Buju. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  16. "Mersey barrage scheme". Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  17. "Liverpool: huge tidal power plant on the Mersey could make city a renewable energy hotspot". The Conversation. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2021.