Construction start for 320-MW Wales tidal lagoon delayed to 2018

Construction of the 320-MW Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project in Wales will not be starting before 2018 as talks with the government for support have not borne fruit yet.

The project could be delayed more if the government’s decision does not come soon, according to a Tuesday report by the Telegraph. It would take about 12 months from receiving confirmation of a subsidy contract to construction launch.

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) gave planning consent to the scheme in 2015, but talks for a contract for difference (CfD) have been inconclusive. Developer Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd seeks a deal for up to 90 years.

The UK government will need time to consider the results of a review of tidal lagoons commissioned earlier this year and decide what to do with the Swansea Bay project, said Jesse Norman, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the energy department, at a speech in early December. “The issue of value for money quite properly remains at the forefront,” he added.

Norman also said that “the most recent proposal put forward by the developer would be a very significant deviation from current Government policy. It would not be impossible, but it would require careful consideration.”

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