SETB, a Cardiff-based company that has developed and tested a bi-directional turbine for tidal range electricity generation, has received a letter of intent for 250 turbines with a combined generating capacity of 2.5 gigawatts (GW) from the proposed £10bn West Somerset Lagoon project.
The letter of intent comes from the directors of West Somerset Lagoon Ltd, the company behind the project that would run nine miles from Minehead to Watchet. The turbines, each nine metres in diameter and rated at 10 megawatts (MW), are subject to successful validation of SETB's technology through a proposed demonstrator at Barry Dock.
Demonstrator project at Barry Dock
SETB is now seeking to secure £5m to establish the demonstrator in partnership with Associated British Ports (ABP). The proposed demonstrator would feature a 2.5 metre turbine system with a projected generating capacity of approximately 640kW, providing an opportunity to validate the technology in an operational environment before wider commercial deployment.
SETB has developed a new generation of contra-rotating, bi-directional turbine technology capable of generating electricity efficiently at much smaller differences in water level than conventional tidal turbines.
Renewed interest in tidal range energy
The West Somerset Lagoon proposal was among the tidal range schemes considered by the Western Gateway Severn Estuary Commission, which examined the potential for developing tidal energy in the Severn Estuary and recommended further action to support its commercial development. The project is seeking development funding, and SETB believes the letter of intent provides a significant indication of potential commercial demand for its technology.
SETB's announcement comes amid renewed interest in tidal range energy, including proposals for a £3.6bn tidal lagoon at Aberthaw from the Cardiff Capital Region. The lagoon is planned to be a 600 megawatt project providing enough electricity to power half a million homes, though its design or location has not been finalised. Cardiff Capital Region, made up of the ten local authorities of south-east Wales, will commit up to £6.4m over the next three years to undertake an exploratory study, with further funding rounds planned.
Commercial viability and next steps
SETB has reported a validated projected levelised cost of electricity of £114 per megawatt-hour (MWh), which it believes demonstrates the potential for tidal range energy to compete economically with other low-carbon technologies, including wind and solar power. The company believes its technology could make a significant contribution to the UK's future energy mix, strengthening long-term energy security while creating opportunities for British manufacturing, skilled employment, coastal regeneration and infrastructure investment.
SETB is working with international engineering and infrastructure firms Jacobs and Amentum, alongside Cardiff University, Lancaster University and Liverpool John Moores University. Significant investment has already been made in the technology, supported by a £1m Innovate UK Smart Grant, to design, build and successfully test the turbine.
Chairman of SETB Steve Prendergast said: "For decades Britain has understood the enormous potential of its tides. The challenge has always been creating technology that makes tidal range energy commercially viable. SETB's work changes that conversation.
"At a time when energy security is such an important national issue, we have an opportunity to develop a home-grown, predictable source of low-carbon electricity that could serve Britain for generations.
"The interest from West Somerset Lagoon demonstrates the potential scale of the opportunity. We have a letter of intent covering turbines with a combined generating capacity of 2.5GW, subject to successful validation of our technology at Barry Dock.
"That underlines why the proposed £5m demonstrator is so important. It could provide the evidence needed to move from successful research and testing towards commercial deployment.
"We believe government backing could help attract private investment and allow the Barry Dock project to move forward quickly.
"Successful demonstration would be an important step towards deploying this technology on a much larger scale, creating opportunities for British engineering and manufacturing while strengthening our long-term energy security."
The company is also seeking to engage with government, investors and delivery partners to progress the Barry Dock demonstrator and establish a route towards wider commercial deployment.
