Gower MP calls for no delays of Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project

Byron Davies, Gower MP and Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Marine Energy and Tidal Lagoons, has urged for no delays of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project, according to BBC.

Davies said it is imperative that the project is given the go-ahead now so the construction of the tidal lagoon starts as soon as possible.

Byron Davies joined Charles Hendry, the head of the review into the tidal lagoon energy commissioned by the UK Government, at a meeting with business leaders in Cardiff, where Hendry will also meet with members of the assembly’s climate change committee.

“As the Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Marine Energy and Tidal Lagoons, I will continue to make the case that Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is an exciting project for the whole of the region and I look forward to working with Government to get this transformational project underway,” Davies said on January 12, when the findings of the review were published.

The review considered whether, and in what circumstances, tidal lagoons could play a cost effective role as part of the UK energy mix, the scale of potential opportunities in the UK and internationally, as well as range of possible structures for financing tidal lagoons.

Regarding the first tidal lagoon planned for the UK – the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon – Hendry stated that moving ahead with the project is a ‘no-regrets policy’.

The £1.3 billion Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project, proposed by Tidal Lagoon Power, has a design life of 120 years and a net annual power output of 400GWh. It is expected to power around 155,000 homes, or over 90% of homes in the Swansea area.