MP backs plans for tidal power from the Mersey

Sep 11 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

WIRRAL South MP Ben Chapman has backed plans to try to harness the tidal power of the Mersey to generate electricity.

He has also called for more members of the public to become involved in the debate which could see giant water wheels on the river generating power.

Engineers believe the Mersey could provide enough power to supply up to 260,000 homes and see the river become home to “one of the biggest and most significant renewable energy projects in Britain”.

Measures that could include a giant waterwheel, tidal barrage, or turbines in the estuary are being considered by energy experts, possibly in little more than a decade.

The River Mersey is one of the top sites for tidal renewable energy in the UK, and a report commissioned by Peel Holdings, the Mersey Basin Campaign and the North West Development Agency identifies a number of long-term options to make the most of that power.

Mr Chapman was recently invited by Peel to visit one of the possible sites in Bromborough.

He said: “While we have to consider all opportunities for sustainable energy sources, this is an imaginative scheme and I have no doubt that people will wish to be aware of and to comment on it, so I encourage constituents to enter the debate.

“It may be true that tidal power generators can be expensive to set up but in the long-term they can give us access to cheaper electricity.

“But there will obviously be environmental concerns, the estuary being an internationally important site for wildfowl and migrating birds, and questions of decommissioning of this technology at the end of its life which need to be answered.

“It is a long-term plan which will require careful examination and consideration.”

Experts say the Mersey estuary’s large tidal range of 8-10 metres and unusual shape combine to create powerful tidal currents that could be harnessed to produce power.

Earlier this year, John Whittaker, chairman of Peel Holdings, described the report into tidal power on the river as “an important step along the way to developing a realistic proposal” which could gather public support and government backing.

Engineers have assessed four sections of the Mersey estuary, stretching from Crosby to Ellesmere Port, and each has a different tidal flow and requires different technologies to harness power.

Tim Bownes, chief engineer at Peel Ports, added: “We are looking at the type of technologies available for generating electrical power.

“There are different schemes that could be utilised, some visible and some hidden. It may be that a scheme will be trialled initially as part of a wide consultation process.”

The scheme plans to have the technology in place by 2020.

liammurphy