Study brings a temporary reprieve for the Severn Estuary
The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study, published today, brings a temporary reprieve for the Severn Estuary, the home of WWT.
We welcomes news that the Cardiff-Weston Barrage, the largest scheme with the biggest potential impact on the wildlife and habitats of the Estuary, will be shelved. Disappointingly, the accompanying announcement from the Department of Energy and Climate Change suggests that the scheme could be revived at a later date.
Also shelved are the other smaller barrages and lagoons being considered under the study, which could also be damaging. And a parallel study, which investigated more innovative options for harnessing tidal energy with potentially less environmental impact, has concluded that the technologies are not mature enough at this point to warrant further investigation.
WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray commented:
“The Severn Estuary is a very special place for wildlife, for people and for WWT. We are pleased to have been part of the debate on tidal power and to have contributed to this study. It is a shame that plans for the Cardiff-Weston Barrage have not been completely ruled out forever. But it is a huge step forward to have the costs - both economic and environmental - and risks formally recognised in the conclusion to this study.
"WWT has supported the search for sustainable energy sources but all along we've said that any energy generation scheme on the internationally important Severn estuary must be cost effective and minimise environmental damage. The Cardiff-Weston barrage would have failed on both counts.
"The estuary provides society with a huge number of benefits, from fisheries and tourism to its unique value for waterbirds, rare habitats and incredible landscape. We believe that there is an urgent need for both increased energy efficiencies and low carbon energy production to meet the challenge of climate change, but this must not come at the expense of destroying internationally important and legally protected areas, either now or in future."
