Parliamentary Briefing favours incremental approach to tidal power
A tidal energy barrage across the Severn Estuary could produce up to 5% of the UK’s electricity demand. However predicting environmental impacts of such a Barrage suffers from a lack of real data for computer modelling and a lack of similar estuaries and similar barrages to check modelling. The Eastern Scheldt provides some useful information on the possible erosion impacts, but analogous losses of inter-tidal habitat for a Severn barrage are uncertain. Fish mortality via turbine strikes has been studied, but sub-lethal injury and increased loss to predators is unknown. Effective compensation for habitat and species loss is problematic for the large Severn barrage. Like-for-like habitat replacement presents an unprecedented challenge. As evidence is insufficient, an incremental approach to tidal power is favoured, the PostNote concludes.
Published 6th June 2013 | POST notes POST PN 435
Authors: Jonathan Wentworth
Topic: Biodiversitybiodiversity Biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals., Electricity, Environmental protection
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/briefing-papers/POST-PN-435
