The project will be the UK’s first full-scale tidal lagoon power plant, representing a major step towards the delivery of full-scale tidal lagoon infrastructure in the country.

Tidal Lagoon Power expects to submit a full planning application for Tidal Lagoon Cardiff, which will include 90 turbines set within a 22km breakwater, in 2017. A decision is expected in 2018. The project follows the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon which was developed as a scalable pilot for the sector and is due to receive a planning decision by June 2015.

Mitigating impacts

Tidal Lagoon Power has also confirmed that work is underway to deliver four other full-scale UK tidal lagoons at Newport, West Cumbria, Colwyn Bay and Bridgwater Bay. Together, the national fleet of six lagoons would meet 8% of the UK’s total electricity requirement for the next 120 years.

Tidal Lagoon Power chief executive Mark Shorrock said: “There is still a long way to go and many environmental surveys to undertake but we will work in partnership with all nature conservation bodies so as to understand, avoid, minimise and mitigate any environmental impacts.”

Steps have been taken to tap into the potential of tidal power in the UK, with a new ‘platform’ designed in February last year to cut the cost and risks of tidal energy projects and the launch of the DeltaStream device in Wales in August.

In January, David Cameron confirmed his support for the Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC), which will provide the world’s first grid-connected tidal array test facility.

edie staff


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