Wales' 320-MW tidal project to seek new lagoon wall contractor - report

The developer of the 320-MW Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project in Wales will soon hold again a tender for the construction of the seawall, after it decided China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd’s (CHEC) design had "limited workability".

Mike Unsworth of Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd told WalesOnline the company will seek better value for money. The decision will not delay the project, the delivery director was cited as saying.

CHEC was announced as preferred bidder a year ago for a GBP-300-million (USD 438.4m/EUR 393m) marine works contract on the project, including the construction of the six-mile lagoon wall in Swansea Bay.

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) last summer gave planning consent to the 320-MW project. However, talks for a contract for difference (CfD) have been inconclusive. Tidal Lagoon Power seeks a deal for up to 90 years.

Early this year, the UK government announced that it is launching 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”. The findings of the review will be announced in the autumn of 2016, delaying the execution of the Swansea Bay project.

WalesOnline said works on the tidal lagoon are not expected to start before late 2017 or early 2018 and that is only if support talks with the government after the review are “relatively straightforward”.

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