Tidal power for East Anglia?

The Eastern Daily Press of 25th January 2006 carried an article by Tom Matthews entitled 'Waves could be like Sizewell B' which reads: -

Tidal power from the Norfolk coast could be harnessed to generate huge amounts of electricity, it was claimed today. Environmental science expert Keith Tovey said water surges in the Wash could be used to produce as much energy as the Sizewell B nuclear power station.

His comments followed the release of a Carbon Trust report, which claims up to a fifth of the UK's electricity needs could come from marine energy. Asked if he would like to see investment in tidal power around Norfolk, Dr Tovey said:
"Very, very much so. I think that some of the environmental objections are somewhat overstated and there are ways around it. There are four categories one could consider. One is what I would class as wave power; the other three, tidal power."

Dr Tovey, who has been studying energy at UEA for 25 years, said a "barrage" could be put across the Wash from Hunstanton to the Lincolnshire coast to harness energy. The device would fill with water as the tide comes in and then let it out through sluices when the waters pull back, generating electricity. Dr Tovey said such a system could produce as much energy as a nuclear power plant, but warned it may have a damaging environmental effect and take decades to become profitable.

Another option he suggested was constructing underwater turbines off the coast, which are more effective than wind turbines and would have less impact on sea life. Only about 20 areas in the world have been identified as possible sites for tidal power stations, of which eight are in Britain.

Marine energy currently costs more than conventional and other alternative energy sources because the technology is in the early stages of development.

But the Carbon Trust report predicts the cost of generating electricity using wave and tidal energy could fall significantly in the future. It says private investment, backed by long-term government support, will be vital in unlocking the potential of the marine energy market.