UK: Partners Announced for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon Project

Leading global companies Costain, Atkins, and Van Oord have reached agreements to partner with Tidal Lagoon Power Limited to design, build and deliver the world’s first tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay, Wales as the company prepares for formal consultation due to begin on Thursday 4 July.

Costain is one of the UK’s leading Tier One engineering solution providers. Costain will work alongside all partners to coordinate and manage delivery of the Swansea Bay project with optimal engineering solutions. Their work will include developing and managing the schedule for pre-construction and construction phases, developing construction methodology for civil engineering works including turbine and sluice structures, access routes and complex temporary works included temporary bund for construction of turbine housing.

Darren James, Managing Director of Costain Infrastructure says: “Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon will be the world’s first, purpose-built, tidal lagoon power plant, and will be capable of generating electricity equivalent to Swansea’s entire domestic consumption. Importantly, the proposed 250MW power plant will save over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for its design life of over 100 years. This project gives Wales a significant opportunity to take the lead in the tidal industry for the UK and we look forward to working with the team to develop what will hopefully be a network of lagoons around the UK coastline.”

Atkins has 75 years’ experience of providing world-class design, engineering and project management solutions across a wide range of market sectors, including energy, water, marine and urban development. The company has been working with Tidal Lagoon Power for 18 months to examine the feasibility of the overall project and has now been commissioned to provide engineering design and geotechnical expertise. This includes designing both the turbine house and the innovative breakwater bund wall, which uses a combination of giant tubular sand bags protected by armour made up of different sized rocks; and investigating the geology of the seabed.

Van Oord is an innovative leading international contractor specialising in dredging, marine engineering and offshore projects (oil, gas and wind) and, for over 100 years, have been helping to create landmark projects such as the Dutch Delta Plan Storm Surge Barriers, Chek Lap Kok Airport, Palm Jumeirah, and several offshore wind farms in the North Sea. Van Oord is working in partnership with Tidal Lagoon Power to develop an innovative construction methodology suitable for the harsh offshore conditions in the Swansea Bay.

Capable of generating electricity equivalent to Swansea’s entire domestic consumption, the proposed 240MW power plant in Swansea Bay will produce predictable, baseload electricity for up to 16 hours each day, using both the ebb and flood tides. It will save over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for its design life of over 100 years.

The project represents an investment of £650 million, and according to Tidal Lagoon Power, the development company behind the scheme, is a significant opportunity for Wales to take the lead in the tidal industry for the UK. The power plant could be connected to the National Grid and could be ‘power ready’ in 2017.

Ton Fijen, Technical Director for Tidal Lagoon Power adds: “Our vision is to deliver 10,000MW of power from the tidal range in the UK and thus change the energy mix to home-grown, low carbon energy that creates local jobs, cheap power and local long term amenities for the communities who host the lagoons. We know that there is an available 10,000 MW of potential sites in the UK alone that are suitable for tidal lagoon development. The Swansea project will hopefully be the first in a network of lagoons around the UK coastline, driving a critical change in our energy mix with low cost, low carbon electricity sources that are sustainable long-term.”

“Detailed plans for the lagoon are now being finalised prior to beginning formal on 4 July. Our intention, subject to design readiness, is to submit an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in the late autumn of 2013. Announcing our partnership with these leading contractors is another step forward as we progress towards planning.”

Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is being promoted and developed by Tidal Lagoon Power Limited (TLP). TLP’s focus is the development of a series of tidal lagoons to generate renewable energy from the rise and fall of the considerable tidal range to be found in Welsh and UK waters.

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Press Release, July 2, 2013