FOUR ways of using the River Mersey to power the region’s homes have been selected.

A feasibility study is currently looking at how to deliver the maximum affordable energy from the tidal resources in the Mersey estuary.

And four technologies have been shortlisted as part of the Mersey Tidal Power project.

The first two involve building barrages and using turbines to generate power – one with smaller turbines than the other.

The other two involve building tidal fences.

The first fence would have turbines designed for generating electricity in open streams.

The second fence is based on a new device that concentrates the energy of slow-moving water into a smaller area of faster-flowing water using the so-called Venturi effect. Anthony Hatton, of development director of Peel Energy, which is leading the project, said: “This initial selection of technically suitable options represents a major step in the process to select a viable tidal power scheme for the Mersey Estuary.”

He said it was hoped that an acceptable scheme could be developed in order to submit a planning application by the end of 2011.

“There is a long way to go but our goal is to have a tidal power scheme generating electricity from the Mersey in time to contribute to the national target of generating 15% of the UK’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2020,” he added.

The Mersey estuary has one of the largest tidal ranges in the country, and previous studies have shown that a large scheme could generate enough renewable energy to supply a significant proportion of homes in the region.

The next stage of the feasibility study will examine possible sites in the estuary where the different technologies could best be used.