Projected Cardiff Bay tidal lagoon power station secures grid connection

Plans to develop a tidal lagoon power station big enough to supply every home in Wales have taken a step forward with the announcement of the project developer, Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP), has secured a grid connection for the 3240MW station. Located between Cardiff and Newport, the tidal lagoon is projected to be the first full-scale deployment of this technology, following on from a pilot scheme planned for Swansea Bay.

The Swansea scheme is now fully-consented and awaiting final sign off from the government, a decision which is expected within weeks, but TLP is keen to secure the next phase of its plans. Although it does not expect to submit a full application for development consent for the Cardiff Bay tidal project until 2019, it has been working on advance plans for three years and has now accepted an offer for grid connection from National Grid Electricity Transmission plc.

“Our offer to the UK government is to contract Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon for a lower subsidy per megawatt hour than Hinkley Point C,” said TLP’s chief executive Mark Shorrock. “While we await the government’s response to this offer and to the independent Hendry Review of tidal lagoons, we have continued our development work on the subsequent programme.