News that the Severn Estuary will be the base for a revolutionary development in the world of wave power has been welcomed with open arms by the vast majority of environmental groups and charitable organisations in the UK. This is the latest in a long line of similar ventures throughout the UK which have been grabbing the headlines for some time.
The latest development will be housed in South Wales and latch onto the wave power associated with the Severn Estuary. Currently there are 10 proposals for the government to review which include six barrages, two variations on a lagoon, a tidal fence and a tidal reef. Each one has a unique way of harnessing wave power and turning this into very economical and environmentally friendly energy which will be fed into the National Grid.
The cost of the ventures ranges from £650 million to £15 billion and while the review process will take some time to conclude it seems inevitable that one of the 10 ventures being proposed will be chosen as the preferred option.
It is only the last few years which have seen wave power become a viable option as advances in technology have made systems more economical. The initial cost of these developments can be fairly high, but the fact there is no traditional ‘fuel' required to operate them slashes the long term running costs. |
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