How to balance the use of a major renewable resource with its benefits re climate change mitigation versus the environmental impacts of the development process, that’s the dilemma. The Hendry review didn’t look into the environmental aspects of tidal lagoons in any detail, there are however, a range of issues not least how the requirements of migratory fish, the Habitats Directive and the Cornwall Dean Quarry issue will be resolved. There is also the price, anything looks cheap compared to Hinkley. Links to four viewpoints.

From MCS: Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon – project must be seen as a test says MCS 

Hendry review takes no account of adverse long term ecological impacts

An independent review into the viability of the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, published today (Thursday 12th January), has not taken ecological impacts into account.

Although we support marine renewable energy as a potentially ecologically sustainable form of electricity production, we believe that renewables must be developed utilising the technologies and placed in locations with least environmental impact. Lagoons, like the  £1.3bn project proposed for Swansea Bay, will be located in estuaries and bays that have complex and diverse ecosystems supporting rare and threatened fish, birds and other wildlife and habitats, all of which may be adversely affected by these massive developments.

“The Hendry Review takes no account of the adverse ecological impacts of the development of tidal lagoons. They will be located in estuaries and bays that are complex and diverse ecosystems supporting rare and threatened fish, birds and other wildlife and habitats all of which will be may be adversely affected by these massive developments,” says Clare Reed, Marine Policy Officer at MCS.

To read more click here 

Impacts on biodiversity NRW report http://www.cmscoms.com/?p=5238 

Angling Trust – Environmental case stuck in the mud http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?section=29&sectionTitle=Angling+Trust+News&itemid=3601

House of Commons debate on Dean Quarry – where the stone for Swansea lagoon will come

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2017-01-10/debates/7FAD7CF9-F0F1-417D-BA2C-1BA19A8EDD2C/DeanQuarryStKeverne

RSPB like to oppose the project  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/01/10/tidal-lagoon-plans-face-challenge-rspb/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Policy Exchange – on value for money https://policyexchange.org.uk/the-folly-of-swansea-bay-tidal-lagoon/

Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and Baseload Tidal Generation in the UK
http://euanmearns.com/swansea-bay-tidal-lagoon-and-baseload-tidal-generation-in-the-uk/