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Why no Swansea Tidal Lagoon?

(44 Posts)
Ilovecheese Fri 29-Jun-18 10:49:14

Why has the Government refused the go ahead for a tidal lagoon in Swansea?
We could have been world leaders in this new technology, the first of its kind.
Is renewable energy somehow not "macho" enough for this Government, or do they just prefer to keep the big energy companies happy.

MaizieD Sat 30-Jun-18 10:54:50

Before anybody objects to the mention of 'Brexit' I'd like to protest at the insertion of anti-Corbyn comments into a thread that has nothing at all to do with him.

Anniebach Sat 30-Jun-18 11:37:39

There has been no anti Corbyn comment, just an explanation to a poster in Scotland that Wales and Scotland governments cannot be compared.

grannypauline Sat 30-Jun-18 14:58:37

Cost of Swansea Tidal Project 1.3 billion pounds generating 320Mwe

Cost of Hinckley Point C Nuclear Power station 20.3 billion pounds (National Audit Office estimates final cost of 50 billion) generating 1,600Mwe

The Math: Hinckley costs 20 times (and rising) as much as Swansea while only having 5 times the generating capacity. It will cost at least 7 billion to decommission.

But then again Hinckley will produce weapons-grade Plutonium for use in Trident (another 100+ billion down the drain!)

We might also want to consider what might happen at either site should there (heaven forbid) be an accident there!

NfkDumpling Sat 30-Jun-18 15:02:14

Now we have it. Plutonium.

grannypauline Sat 30-Jun-18 17:58:04

And ...
"Marine Licence 12/45/ML, granted by the Welsh Government, permits the disposal of up to 300,000 tonnes of radioactively contaminated marine sediment, dredged from the seabed at the Hinkley Point nuclear site, into the Cardiff Grounds marine dump site close to the South Wales coast. This will allow work to begin on the 2 new Hinkley C nuclear reactor pipelines."

Pray for South Wales or, better still, get active Welsh grannies!!

NfkDumpling Sat 30-Jun-18 20:39:40

It’s a shame it looks as if Hinkley May have got to the point of no return, while EDF seem to be dithering and may back down on Sizewell using B****t as the excuse.

mostlyharmless Sat 30-Jun-18 20:49:24

The Government doesn’t want to subsidise a tidal power project that offers long term, environmentally safe electricity. They prefer to subsidise polluting, short term and unsafe Nuclear power stations which could potentially devastate huge areas if an accident happens such as at Chernobyl or Fukushima.

Sorry it just doesn’t make sense to me in economic, environmental or political terms.

The Government was "preparing to throw billions of taxpayers’ hard earned cash at a nuclear industry that has been relying on hand outs for 60 years, as its prices just keep spiralling and delivery is delayed year after year. Instead of supporting a potential success, the government has decided to continue propping up a failure”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/swansea-bay-tidal-lagoon-renewable-energy-wave-electricity-generation-government-greg-clark-a8416621.html

NfkDumpling Sat 30-Jun-18 20:51:48

Let’s hope the rest of the media get on board then.

Jalima1108 Sat 30-Jun-18 21:07:07

Apparently it is not 'cost'effective'

So - is HS2 cost-effective?

so instead we get Hinckley and a very sensible project gets turned down - one which could be the future.
We are an island with a lot of 'wave power' - which is wasted.

Jalima1108 Sat 30-Jun-18 21:08:33

which could potentially devastate huge areas if an accident happens such as at Chernobyl or Fukushima.
I hope not mh, I really hope not!
But I cannot understand the reasoning.

Eloethan Sun 01-Jul-18 01:14:44

It's a terrible decision, arrived at, so the government says, because it is "uneconomic".

That is from a government that knows - or at least is only interested in - the cost of everything (but the value of nothing).

I often wonder how they arrive at these economic calculations and projections. Do they, for instance, include the possible devastating consequences and ensuing "cost" (in human, ecological and economic terms) of a nuclear "mishap" or the ongoing cost and risks of storing dangerous radioactive material?

Several experts have claimed that fracking is an uneconomic process. It is also something which has caused great anger and anxiety to people in the areas in which it takes place. Yet the government has backed it.

Eloethan Sun 01-Jul-18 01:26:27

I also disagree with the decision to build a third runway at Heathrow or anywhere else. Every day there are reports about pollution and environmental degradation and yet more roads, more airports and more runways continue to be built.

Again, "economic necessity" is cited but if we ruin our planet no amount of money will reverse its ruin.

NfkDumpling Sun 01-Jul-18 05:16:33

Agree completely. Plus HS2 and a third runway will only make things more London-centric.

Wheniwasyourage Sun 01-Jul-18 18:37:50

Hear hear!

yggdrasil Mon 02-Jul-18 09:25:59

"cost-effective" is a weasel word. Effective for whom? Look at who donates a lot to the Tories, and match it with the list of CEOs of the companies lined up to build the runway.

Wales doesn't get the lagoon because they haven't provided a big enough bung.

MaizieD Mon 02-Jul-18 12:59:43

Of course, it's entirely possible that Wales could have obtained regional development funding from the EU to cover or subsidise the costs of the barrage.

Oh well... let's not cry over spilt milk.

Jalima1108 Mon 02-Jul-18 14:33:56

Never say never:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-44657084

Anniebach Mon 02-Jul-18 16:47:22

I did say on Friday ‘this is not the end ‘, thinking what Nigel did with Dwr Cymru anything is possible.