Tidal barrage across Solway can power all of Cumbria
A government energy expert has indicated that a tidal barrage across the Solway from Anthorn would power the whole of Cumbria.
After Northwest Regional Development Agency’s (NWDA) chose to commission a £100,000 feasibility study looking into tidal energy options on the Solway Firth, Joe Flanagan, head of energy at the Agency, said that a barrage would produce enough electricity for 300,000 homes.
Flanagan, according to The Cumberland News, said that the study will be much wider than just a barrage.
“We will consider all kinds of tidal energy technologies and not just in this area but out to the Irish Sea. Any scheme will have an environmental and social impact. The barrage would be the most efficient but clearly it would also have the biggest environmental impact,” he said.
Located on the border between Scotland and England, the Firth is estimated to hold up to 180MW of tidal power, and the NWDA is actively promoting the possibility of building a tidal barrage between Bowness in Cumbria and Annan in Dumfries.
The concept of the Solway Energy Gateway is being actively promoted and seeks to extract energy from the Solway Firth by means of a tidal range barrage located between Bowness and Annan. The study will be carried out by a consortium led by the Halcrow Group Limited.