02 July 2009
Study into Solway Energy Gateway given the green light
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), together with
Scottish Enterprise and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority have
agreed to commission a £100,000 feasibility study to evaluate
options for harnessing Tidal Energy on the Solway Firth.
Located on the border between Scotland and England, the Solway
Firth provides a significant opportunity for tidal energy capture.
Recent research by the Joule Centre, the Universities of Liverpool
and Lancaster and previous studies by Babtie, Shaw and Morton in
the 1960s all highlight the possibilities for tidal energy
extraction from the Solway Firth.
The concept of the ‘Solway Energy Gateway’ is being actively
promoted and seeks to extract energy from the Solway Firth by means
of a tidal range barrage located between Bowness and Annan.
The proposal aims to ensure local communities, on each side of
the Firth in England and Scotland benefit directly from this highly
significant resource.
The proposed location for the Bowness and Annan barrage is along
the route of a former rail viaduct, spanning the upper reaches of
the Firth at its narrowest point. This location also provides the
advantage of a possible grid connection at the nearby Chapelcross
nuclear power station which is currently being
decommissioned.
The study will assess additional benefits as a result of the
project. These include:
• Significant economic development impact
• Immediate employment and associated employment
opportunities
• Flood defence
• Potential for freshwater storage and extraction
• Unique tourism opportunity offering re-branding and
promotion of the region
• Improved connectivity for West Cumbria and South West
Scotland – if linked to possible constructions across Morecambe Bay
and the Duddon Estuary it would help to create an enhanced
connective corridor for West Cumbria and South West Scotland.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive at the Northwest Regional
Development Agency (NWDA) said:
“Increased renewable energy generation is clearly a major aim of
the Government’s energy and climate change policy. The NWDA is
pleased to support this feasibility study, which will provide an
important stimulus to the concept of tidal power in England’s
Northwest.
“The Solway Energy Gateway has the potential to not only provide
renewable energy for generations to come; it will also provide
significant economic benefits to the local communities, generating
jobs and developing the area’s tourism potential.”
Allison MacColl, Key Sectors Team Leader at Scottish Enterprise
said:
“Scottish Enterprise is pleased to offer support to this project
to establish the viability of a tidal energy extraction scheme on
the Solway Firth which will assist with meeting Scotland and the
UK’s targets for increased renewable energy generation.
“This study should also help identify the potential scale of
economic benefit for the regions either side of the Solway whilst
taking account of the status of the Solway Firth as an area of
outstanding natural beauty and ecological significance.”
Richard Waite, NDA Acting Chief Executive said:
“I hope that the feasibility study is just the first step in
what could be a significant economic and environmental beacon for
communities on both sides of the Solway, lessening the impact of
decommissioning at Chapelcross and Sellafield.”
The study will be carried out by a consortium led by the Halcrow
Group Limited, supported by nb21c (social enterprise) Ltd the
organisation responsible for conceiving, developing and promoting
the community based proposal which will support the study.
Nigel Catterson, nb21c Chairman and Solway Energy Gateway
co-ordinator said:
“The development team are very pleased with the progress made to
date and this next stage represents an important and vital step
forward.”
A Solway Energy Gateway Steering Group is currently being put in
place, with representation from organisations and individuals from
both side of the border, funders and interested parties from the
public and private sector. This will provide a forum for peer
review of progress.
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Notes to Editors
For further information please contact Shelley Tattersall, Press
Officer on 01925 400256 or mobile 07500 128482 or shelley.tattersall@nwda.co.uk
For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925
400259.
For further information and to view previous press releases
visit us at www.nwda.co.uk/press
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the
economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is
responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging
investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s main enterprise, innovation
and investment agency and is focused on supporting business growth
and developing a competitive business environment. Working in
partnership with industry, academia and the public sector, SE aims
to play its part in delivering the Scottish Government’s new
economic strategy to increase productivity in Scotland by helping
businesses grow, encouraging greater innovation and creating the
right conditions for companies to access property, markets and
finance.
Further information can be found at www.scottish-enterprise.com
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has strategic
responsibility for the UK's nuclear legacy with the clear aim of
decommissioning 19 civil public sector nuclear sites safely,
securely, and cost effectively, while protecting the environment.
The NDA was established in April 2005 and inherited a highly
complex nuclear legacy that has its roots in early scientific work,
military objectives and pioneering civil power generation over the
last 60 years. In less than four years the NDA and its contractors
have transformed the nuclear estate from two large government run
owner/operators – British Nuclear Fuels Ltd and UKAEA; to one where
the NDA retains ownership of the 19 sites it took responsibility
for in 2005. These sites are now operated by seven Site Licence
Companies. The creation of Site Licence Companies has allowed the
NDA to proceed with a competition programme for their ownership,
bringing in world-class expertise from the global supply chain to
provide the leadership required to decommission and clean-up the
civil nuclear. The scale of this restructuring is considerable,
involving a combined workforce of around 20,000 and an annual
turnover in excess of £2 billion.
For more information contact Bill Hamilton, Head of Stakeholder
Communications 01925 802193