Tidal power schemes have the potential to generate significant quantities of renewable and clean energy. However, inappropriately located or designed renewable energy developments can cause serious, irreparable and unnecessary harm to nature.
For many years we have fought against the worst scheme - a Severn Barrage running 16 km across the Severn Estuary – which would be an ecological disaster, permanently destroying huge areas of feeding habitat for birds, and blocking the passage of migrating fish. We were relieved when, in 2013, the latest proposal for a Severn Barrage collapsed, rejected by three independent committees of MPs and by the UK Government.
We argue that a step-by-step approach should be taken for the use of renewables in the Severn, given the potential for severe adverse environmental impacts, and our lack of detailed understanding of the nature and scale of actual impacts.
This would begin with a smaller project, or projects, which could be monitored carefully and used as a test case for evaluating the impacts of larger scale projects further down the line.
In this context we have been cautiously positive about plans to site the World’s first tidal energy lagoon in Swansea Bay, in a location where it should not damage the Severn Estuary’s wildlife and habitats, which are protected by international law.
Tidal Lagoons are a new approach to tidal power and offers the prospect of tapping the renewal energy of the tides whilst keeping the impact on our natural environment within acceptable bounds.
It is an interesting new idea that deserves serious consideration and since 2011 we have been in consultation with Tidal Lagoon Power about their Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon proposal. During 2014, the Swansea Lagoon scheme went through the statutory planning process and the Planning Inspectorate’s Development Consent Order (DCO) examination closed on 10 December 2014. The Examining Authority now has to consider and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, who has until 10 June 2015 to announce a decision.
Throughout the consultations the RSPB has emphasised the importance of gathering, analysing and learning from, vital information about the response of the natural system to the scheme.
We remain concerned that the Swansea Lagoon Project has not been set up with an adequate modelling and monitoring package, the results of which are vitally important to inform subsequent projects. In the absence of such information, it is unlikely that the RSPB could support future projects, particularly those which are likely to affect other wildlife sites, including European sites.
The proposal is also subject to a Marine Licence and this consultation remains open until the DCO decision is made. This has provided us with an opportunity to make recommendations regarding post-construction monitoring. We believe improvements can be made to the proposed modelling and monitoring package through changes to the Adaptive Environmental Monitoring Plan (AEMP).
We have produced a Monitoring document in an attempt to incorporate a more robust programme of monitoring measures which were lacking in the Environmental Statement, including: intertidal monitoring, bird counts, turbine collision risk of great crested grebes, herring population and recreational disturbance. The crucial first step is to agree a sound monitoring programme that validates the modelling and predictions that are, currently, all we have to go by.
Whilst the Swansea lagoon was going through the planning process, Tidal Lagoon Power submitted additional proposals to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration, for a 2nd lagoon at Cardiff and a 3rd lagoon at Newport. These proposals are for lagoons many times the size of the Swansea Lagoon and both are within the area of the estuary designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a Special Protection Area (SAC) and a Ramsar site.
At this time, we have no confidence that tidal lagoons can be sited in these highly sensitive areas without huge disruption to the natural system. We believe that it is far, far too soon to be considering any lagoon in the sensitive inner estuary until we understand the impacts of the first scheme at Swansea Bay.
Each tidal lagoon installed will change the shape of the coastline, affecting the flow of water through the Severn Estuary, with knock on effects for sediment transport, habitats and flood risk.
There is an urgent need for research to understand what the effects of different combinations of lagoons might be, in order to highlight, and potentially mitigate, negative environmental and social impacts. The impact of this new technology must be properly understood in the context of the importance of the environment in which they are proposed.
Watch this space to see what will be our next steps...