Chinese contractor China Harbour Engineering Company has been let go as the developer of the marine works of the £1bn Tidal Lagoon project in Swansea.
According to developer Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay, the decision was taken to part with its Chinese partner after a review of the Advanced Works Phase. In a statement the company said: “We have now taken the decision to retender the Marine Works Package in line with the requirement to deliver optimal value-for-money to investors and to consumers.
“The Marine Works Package comprises the construction of the lagoon’s breakwaters and the temporary cofferdam in which the powerhouse structure will be built.”
The deal was worth £300m and is said to have broken down due to the contractor’s failure to meet the target price with its design for the 9.5km seawall.
If built, tidal lagoon power is predicted to generate a net annual power output of over 500 Gwh – enough to meet the annual electricity requirement of more than 155,000 homes – from the rising and falling tide in the Severn Estuary.
Although planning permission for the project has been awarded, Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay, the company behind the project, is still in negotiations to agree a Contract for Difference with the government.
Don’t any of the big uk cons’t boys fancy this job joint-triple venture???