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Plans have been revealed for a £2bn tidal barrage across The Wash, a bay in East Anglia between Lincolnshire and Norfolk, which will feature the world’s first tidal energy-powered deep sea container terminal, act as a flood defence and have rail and road elements.
The 17.7km barrage, named Centre Port UK, would stretch between Gibraltar Point and Hunstanton is intended first and foremost to “provide guardianship of the ecology of The Wash and Fenlands” according to the developer, Port Evo.
Turbines beneath the structure will harness tidal energy from The Wash’s 780km2 tidal area, which is said to be enough to power circa 600,000 homes and businesses in the region. The infrastructure will provide a flood defence for the whole of The Wash area, extending to Peterborough and Cambridge, protecting more than 1M people.
Innovation comes in the form of the world’s first tidal energy powered container terminal. It will be be state-of-the-art and able to service 1.5M 6m equivalent containers from 23,000 6m equivalent ships after the first phase. This will expand to 2.6M containers in phase 2 and then 4M containers in phase 2a. It will have quad lift cranes able to pick up four 6m containers or two 12m containers on each lift, meaning ships will spend less time in port. Port Evo says the offshore location will simultaneously provide a high level of security while ensuring there is no land-side noise or light pollution.
Atop the barrage will be a road that would be a dual carriageway from the container terminal to the Lincolnshire side and a single carriageway between the terminal and Nofolk. This will cut journey time between the two counties from 2.5 hours to 20 minutes, creating a “new powerhouse” for business.
Rail infrastructure is also part of the proposal, with four terminals proposed. The developer intends to connect it to the East Coast Main Line.
It is also being promoted as a levelling up opportunity, as it will provide over 1,000 job opportunities during and after construction, with more than 300 full-time skilled jobs also being created within the port in south Lincolnshire. It’s said that the green energy from the hydro-electric dam will create manufacturing opportunities across research and development.
The project has received six figure seed funding from energy specialist Centrica, with which it also has a power agreement. The project is now looking to raise £8M for a two-year feasibility study, on which it will engage with environmental and technical consultancies.
Its fate will ultimately be decided by the government Planning Inspectorate, as it will be a considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project.
Centre Port Holdings chief executive James Sutcliffe said: “Centre Port is a multiple income generating development where decarbonising the logistics chain is a priority in today’s world.
“Centre Port provides multiple business opportunities and a lower/zero carbon operation across the import/export chain, whilst also being 50% nearer the East and West Midlands it serves.
“It is well placed to drive new economic opportunities in Lincolnshire/Norfolk and Cambridge, job creation and levelling up in local communities that are otherwise reliant on the agricultural sector.
“The local environment is seriously at risk from climate change. Our mission is to retain the Wash boundaries, its wildlife and ecology and to minimise climate change impacts that could devastate these sensitive areas.”
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It is obvious that tidal energy is the only truly reliable source of energy free from causing pollution. Wind and sun are fickle allies.
It is a good idea to sell this project to politicians on the grounds that it is good for ecology.
Unfortunately most politicians have little education in Engineering.
A lagoon was proposed for swansea ,£25million was spent on surveys etc the goverment rejected it ,sad as the predicament the country is now in with Putin behaving the way he is ? Google it ,Swansea lagoon!
I agree that tidal energy should be generated, but this scheme seems to be a vary expensive way of doing it. The proposal which others have put forward, of tidal islands in the Severn estuary, would be more modest and so more achievable. The Severn has a large tidal range, and islands would be less disruptive of wildlife such as wading birds. I cannot imagine the RSPB agreeing to a tide barrier in the Wash.
£2bn seems very economic in consideration of 1 million homes offered flood alleviation on top of generating enough power for 600,000 homes, as well as economic benefits deriving from improved transport links. Shame that power statistic is not presented as GW, as comparison with Hinckley costing £26bn and generating 3.25GW is difficult. But I suspect the economics for the Wash project with flood alleviation, power and transport benefits are actually very favourable, probably better than either Hinckley or HS2?
Tidal power can be harnessed far more cheaply without the potential harm to the local ecology using dams, by installing floating ocean current turbines and this has been done for years (this is not wave energy). See: https://orbitalmarine.com/ that have been powering the Orkneys for many years; their latest turbine has 2 turbines each rated at 1 MW. Its a pity that the Government does not give more support for this form of energy.
You wouldn’t get the benefits of a road connection with floating turbines at this location.
The most ecologically sensitive parts of the proposed barrage can be kept free of turbines with such a long barrage.