British government considering schemes to harness tidal power

Ten different energy schemes are on the drawing board as the British government weighs up its options for harnessing the tidal power of the Severn Estuary in an innovative scheme to develop wave power as a viable alternative energy source.

The potential projects, which could provide clean, green energy from the tide, will be looked at during the two-year feasibility study being carried out by Bristol-based company Parsons Brinckerhoff. A shortlist of preferred options to be taken forward for more extensive research is due to be announced in December, when the feasibility study ends.

Among the schemes under consideration is the well-documented 10-mile barrage from Brean Down, near Weston-super-Mare, to Lavernock Point near Cardiff. A larger barrage could also be built further down the Bristol Channel from Minehead to Aberthaw, making maximum use of the Severn Estuary tidal resource, while a barrage at Beachley would be upstream of the old Severn Bridge and generate less energy.

Three other barrages and two variations on a lagoon are also under consideration. Also on the list is a tidal fence, which is seen by some as better for wildlife and shipping than a barrage as it would have open sections. There is also a reef design of floating turbines and a ''lake'' scheme – including a wave power station facing the incoming tide.

The Environment Agency, Friends of the Earth, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge and the South West Regional Development Agency are among the organisations which have contributed to the multi-million pound feasibility study, which aims to assess the costs, benefits and environmental impact of a tidal power scheme.

Secretary of State for Energy John Hutton said, ''Harnessing the power of the Severn Estuary could be an engineering project of breathtaking scale, and we will look at the full range of technologies and locations in the proposals. The Severn's tidal range is the second largest in the world and has the potential to provide around five per cent of the UK's current electricity demand.''