Liverpool’s mayor, Steve Rotherham has announced a public consultation on plans to develop the world’s largest tidal power project, the Mersey Tidal Project, that will be located across the River Mersey.
Already, a scoping report has been presented to the Planning Inspectorate, therefore signifying the official commencement of the planning process.
The power of the project would be generated by a tidal barrage and would be the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Consultations of the Project
Consultations for the upcoming multi-billion-pound project is set to commence on October 1 and is expected to last a period of 6 weeks.
Rotherham hailed the “once-in-a-generation opportunity” of Mersey Tidal Power to provide “hundreds of thousands of homes with renewable energy for up to a remarkable 120 years”.
The submitted scoping report will agree on the proposed preliminary ecological surveys that must be prepared ahead of planning submission, expected by 2026.
Significance of the Mersey Tidal Project
This upcoming mega has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the green energy sector, according to Rotheram.
Current concepts suggest that a walking and cycling route would be opened across the tidal barrage, connecting Birkenhead and Liverpool by foot for the first time.
The Mersey Tidal Power project is expected to be touted at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool next week.
The most optimistic predictions suggest that the scheme could be active within a decade, providing a significant boost to the region’s 2035 net zero carbon target.
The Liverpool City Region has one of the UK’s largest tidal ranges and plans to build a barrage over the Mersey have been floated since 1924.
Tidal energy is derived from varying heights in tides, which can be up to 33 feet in Liverpool.
Changes in tidal waters power the barrage’s turbines, which in turn generate electricity.
Furthermore, currently, in Phase 3 Concept Development, studies are being undertaken to assess how a barrage can fit in the River Mersey and Liverpool Bay.
Capacity of the Project
The 28 tidal range turbines proposed for the Mersey could generate 25 megawatts of energy each.
The current world’s largest active tidal power facility, the K-Water tidal range plant is located at Sihwa in South Korea has 10 turbines each with 24.5-megawatt capacity.
The Mersey Tidal power project is regarded as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and, as such, would progress under the Development Consent Order process.
Moreover, Cllr Anthony Burns, LCRCA portfolio holder for net zero, commented by saying, “Harnessing the power of the River Mersey to generate green and predictable energy for more than 100 years would be an incredible addition to our clean energy mix.
“I would encourage anyone interested in the project to get involved with the consultation and let us know their opinions.”
Steve Rotheram added: “The Mersey Tidal Project is one of the most challenging schemes to deliver due to the existing environmental, ecological and economic considerations, but its great potential to generate clean, green and predictable energy would be indeed worth all the effort we are putting into its planning stage that would foresee the project’s implementation.
“Lastly, the River Mersey has been the provider of our region’s fortunes for many years, and today marks another important milestone in its future. With the launch of our first public consultation and the start of the formal planning process, Mersey Tidal Power is moving closer to reality than at any stage in our history.”
Project Fact Sheet
Project name: Mersey Tidal Power Project
Location: Liverpool City, River Mersey
Capacity: 700MW
Significance: Job creation and clean energy supply
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