ABPmer to Play Leading Role in Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study
ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) has been appointed, as part of a consortium led by Parsons Brinckerhoff, to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and engineering studies for tidal-power generation in the Severn Estuary. The two-year study, for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), will contribute to the Government’s overall Severn Tidal Power feasibility study, which was announced by Secretary of State John Hutton in January.
The Severn Estuary has the second-largest tidal range in the world and has major potential for tidal-power generation that could contribute to the Government’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets. However, any such development would need to be undertaken in a sustainable manner, taking into account other interests in the estuary, in particular the major importance of the estuary for nature conservation.
The SEA will provide an important opportunity to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of possible tidal-power generation options and will assist the Government in determining whether, and if so on what terms, it could support one or more tidal-power generation schemes in the Severn Estuary.
Bill Cooper, Managing Director, ABPmer said:
“ABPmer is delighted to be involved in this study. We have been associated with a wide range of development and research studies in the Severn Estuary over many years and have a detailed understanding of physical processes in the Estuary and how these contribute to the unique biodiversity of the area. During the course of these studies we have developed a number of tools that have been used to successfully predict changes in estuary processes and ecological structure and function that will be of value in assessing the environmental impacts of tidal-power generation options.”
Enquiries:
Bill Cooper
Managing Director, ABPmer
Tel: 02380 711840
