Output details

Impact of different operating modes for a Severn Barrage on the tidal power and flood inundation in the Severn Estuary, UK

The Severn Barrage has historically been proposed to operate most efficiently by Severn Tidal Power Group under ebb tide generating conditions. However, this mode also raises most concerns from environmental lobbyists, with significant intertidal habitat losses. This paper studies a range of operating modes using the Centre’s unstructured grid model and shows that two-way generation can produce almost as much power, particularly with low head turbines, and significantly addresses many of the environmental concerns. This has been key to the new Barrage scheme, privately-funded and widely promoted by Hafren Power, with Falconer on the Regional Board (http://www.hafrenpower.com/,Case Study 1).