A tidal barrier is being planned for Great Yarmouth.
Great Yarmouth tidal energy plan unveiled
By Stephen Pullinger
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
2:00 PM
It might seem like science fiction, but developers say this cutting-edge tidal energy harvester and flood barrier could become technically achievable on the River Yare at Great Yarmouth within three years.
Lowestoft research and development firm, 4NRG, has already built a 7m-long harvester prototype with the help of a £92,000 grant from the East of England Development Agency and is to begin trials on Lake Lothing next week.
The four tonne device, built at Small and Co shipbuilders in Lowestoft, will then be moved to a site on the River Yare for further research within the next few weeks.
Mark Aspinall, a director of 4NRG, based at the Orbis Energy Centre, said that although their technology was world-leading, the principle was simple – the tide passes through the harvester, pushing blades to generate power.
Their first objective had been to build tidal energy generators for use at the site of windfarms to help bring down the cost of producing wind energy.
He said: “The whole of the North Sea is very promising because of the strong tidal flow. Tidal energy is more regular than wind and can be harnessed four times a day as the tide goes in and out.”
Mr Aspinall said their awareness of the region’s need for green power and the flood risk on the Broads had made them see the potential of combining the technology with a flood barrier on the River Yare. The Broads Authority is supporting the Yare research with a £7,500 grant from its sustainable development fund (SDF).
Mr Aspinall said: “This would be an opportunity to create tidal defences which would benefit the whole of the Broads. The barriers would help pay for themselves with revenues gained from generating electricity. They would generate a reliable supply of renewable energy in almost any weather and at times of a very high or surge tide, the shutters would close to serve as a flood defence.”
He admitted that while the Yare device – which would incorporate three harvesters – could be ready to be built within three years, the pace of development would depend on political will.
It is thought the scheme would cost up to £30m to deliver, the electricity generated being enough to power about 2,000 homes. The envisaged site would be upstream from Haven Bridge; Mr Aspinall said there would be no risk of causing a flood in Yarmouth by stopping a tide at the barrier as the system would be carefully managed.
John Best, chief executive of the East of England Energy Group, hailed the tidal harvester’s potential to “contribute to the balanced mix of low carbon energy we need”.
Broads Authority chief executive John Packman said it was a “great example of the sort of ground-breaking work the SDF should fund”.
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9 comments
As far as I can see this is planned to be up stream of some of the places flooded in 53- Bells Marsh Road etc Cobholm now has large defence walls and there is potential all over the Broads to minimise any flooding of water side properties by the use of natural "washes" as employed in the Fens. The number of properties in full time occupancy that would be protected by a surge barrier -one wonders if it is really worth the money. The tide race in the river is very strong for tide power but what happens about navigation?
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Daisy Roots
Friday, February 4, 2011
Just a thought - has anybody investigated the potential to harness the power of the waves, NOT ONLY to harvest energy for power generation, but also to provide some protection along the coast to slow down erosion, on a large scale? I wonder if a system of artificial reefs integrated with some clever technology could do the trick? (I'd google for an answer but am too busy dreaming up other ways to save the world.)
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Flicka
Thursday, February 3, 2011
I think the paltry £7,500 grant from the Broads Authority pretty much reveals what they think about it.
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chucky noris
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The cost of this could be tiny compared to the cost of damageloss of buildings due to future inland flood damge so I think that the bigger picture needs to be assessed.
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LLCK
Thursday, February 3, 2011
My opinion, as a graduate electrical engineer, is that it is only hydro-power, from tides, streams and rivers, that is worth developing as "green" power. At least the tides are regular, and rivers are unlikely to run dry. Wind power, and solar electric power are very uneconomic, as well as requiring an equvalent generating capacity in coal or other power stations. The subsidy for wind and solar, and the 48 p per unit I could have earned if my house had been suitable for a solar system, these are the height of insanity foisted upon us by the "green" lobby. So this installation at Yarmouth will be good news.
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BrummagemRobert
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Yarmouth!! Home for silly engineering projects like the outer harbour. And now possible home to most expensive way of producing electricity. Well the place is a sink for lots of public money so maybe it's not so surprising.
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Dr Dee
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
It’s all pie in the sky folks with more of our money going up the swanny. I am more than surprised that Norfolk County Council haven’s shoved a few million forward as they have been pretty good at throwing our money away in the past.
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John L Norton
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Let Eddie Freeman of Eastport 'fame' run this as it's guaranteed to be a winner.....
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wes1975
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Again we can see promising ideas, thats all it is for now, being described as 'planned' by the EDP. Its a promising dual purpose design and despite very little electricity generated worse a thought. No doubt such contract will be going out to tender and other designs will be presented and given equal publicity by the EDP.
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ingo wagenknecht
Wednesday, February 2, 2011