BMT Complete Navigation Impact of a Tidal Energy Scheme in the Severn Estuary
01-Mar-2010
As part of a study funded under the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Severn Embryonic Technologies Scheme BMT have completed a navigation impact assessment of a tidal energy fence across the Severn estuary.
The assessment was part of a series of studies made by the Severn Tidal Fence Consortium (STFC), a joining of the Severn Tidal Fence Group (originally made up of partners IT Power, NaREC, University of Edinburgh, Pulse Tidal, Marubeni and BMT Fleet Technology) and CleanTechCom (part of Woodshed Technologies with partners Sigma Offshore ltd, University of Edinburgh and Metoc).
The concept of the fence is to generate power from the Severn without the loss of intertidal habitats and the navigation impact of a barrage.
The work, performed by BMT Fleet Technology, concentrated on understanding both the existing and future traffic growth in the estuary and the size, design and marking of the gap in the fence to allow 24/7 access of the largest ships to the major ports in the estuary.
The work built on the experience gained in assessing the navigational impact of offshore wind farms, managing traffic in major ports & estuaries such as the Thames and in the access to and from ports for major vessels.
The fence study provides a major input into the Government's Severn Tidal Power feasibility study which, reporting in Spring 2010, aims to gather and assess up-to-date high level evidence to enable Government to decide if the Government could support a Severn Estuary tidal power scheme and if so on what terms.