Tide turns again on Welsh lagoon plan

The Welsh government has resurrected the idea of building a tidal range electricity generation project along the Welsh coastline.

It has decided to undertake a market engagement exercise with contractors to gauge interest in delivering the tidal lagoon, with the winner possibly receiving financial support from the Welsh government.

Then business and energy secretary Greg Clack scrapped a £1.3bn plan proposed for Swansea Bay that would have involved building a six-mile-long horseshoe-shaped seawall dotted with 16 underwater turbines in 2018.

Ministers argued that the project would not represent value for money compared to a mix of offshore wind and nuclear and published a value for money assessment (available here).

But a Prior Information Notice lodged on the government’s Find a Tender website showed that the Welsh government is once again considering a plan, although the notice also indicated that there was no compulsion for it to proceed any further with any requirements.