Swansea Bay tidal lagoon looking for builder of turbine plant

The developer of the 320-MW Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project in Wales today launched a tender for the design and construction of a GBP-22-million (USD 28.5m/EUR 25.4m) turbine manufacturing and pre-assembly plant in Swansea Bay.

All machining and pre-assembly of the 16 turbines for the project will take place at the plant, Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd said. It will be located between the Kings and Queens Dock at Swansea Bay after a competitive tender of possible locations last year.

The contract is expected to be awarded in January 2017.

Tidal Lagoon Power announced the tender as it released a report, saying that the tidal lagoon sector could be a GBP-70-billlion opportunity to the UK industry.

The "pathfinder" project at Swansea Bay may bring contracts worth more than GBP 800 million to the UK's engineering, construction, steel and manufacturing industries, the company says.

According to the report, a domestic market for made-in-Britain tidal lagoon turbines and generators could be worth GBP 17 billion and for turbine housings -- GBP 24 billion. The calculations are based on 10 projects with a combined capacity of 25 GW. The potential value of exports is estimated at GBP 30 billion.

The Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project secured planning consent last year but talks for a contract for difference (CfD) have been inconclusive. Early this year, the UK government launched a review of tidal lagoon technology that aims to see how such projects could contribute to the future of the country's mix "in the most cost effective way."

(GBP 1.0 = USD 1.293/EUR 1.153)

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