A pioneering tidal barrage across the Mersey estuary could generate 700 MW of renewable energy and provide a link between Wirral and Liverpool. The Liverpool Echo reports that the barrage would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help the city to achieve its net zero targets.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) have outlined the ambitious plans in a new proposal. The scheme would see the installation of 28 turbines capable of generating 25 MW of power from the pressure of the tidal waters, and sluice gates and marine navigation would provide extra control.
There were no costs given in the report, but it is likely to be a multi-billion pound project that will require significant investment from the government. If it goes ahead, it is expected that the barrage will generate thousands of jobs for the region and provide power to one million homes across Merseyside.
The barrage would provide a pedestrian and cycle link across the Mersey between Liverpool and the Wirral, with rest points along the route. It would be the biggest engineering project in the north west of England, and the first of its kind in the UK.
The report said: “The engineering, manufacturing and construction would be the largest project in the North West and be a bold statement of our ambition to address the climate change challenges of decarbonising our electricity system by using clean renewable energy and responding to the flood risks posed by sea level rise.”
“We need more electricity to enable heating and transport to decarbonise and move away from fossil fuels, and we need it local to our demand.”
The report adds: “A tidal project on the Mersey will create a major new piece of infrastructure – linking the left and right bank (Wirral and Liverpool) – with the potential to provide more clean energy, provide protection against inevitable sea level rise and can be deployed to help create and enhance natural habitats.”
Liberal Democrat leader Phil Gilchrist said he gave the plans a ‘guarded welcome’, but added that investigations would be needed to assess the potential impact on wildlife and if the estuary could become silted up by the effects of the barrage.
The scheme would take until 2040 to become fully operational, and it is predicted that the barrage will have a lifespan of 120 years. LCRCA have requested that the scheme is included in the UK Energy Strategy as part of the drive to provide clean renewable energy, and also to provide energy security for the UK so it is less subject to geopolitical events.
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “For as long as I can remember there has been talk of building a tidal barrage on the River Mersey and, thanks to devolution, we’re working to make it a reality. I want to harness the potential of our great river, which has been the lifeblood of our region’s fortunes throughout its past to power our future.”
Wirral Council are due to vote shortly on a motion to bring forward the report and progress it to the next stages, when more technical details will be requested.
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