Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what studies are being undertaken or sponsored by his Department to investigate the likely changes in the event of a Severn barrage being constructed, in tidal regime, sediment deposition and area of intertidal silts exposed by the tide at Bridgwater bay and the upper Severn.
246W
§ Mr. Michael SpicerStudies on tidal regime, sediment deposition, and area of intertidal silts exposed by the tide, are currently being carried out by the Severn tidal power group as part of the £4.26 million Severn barrage study jointly funded by the Severn tidal power group, the Central Electricity Generating Board and my Department.
In addition, we are commissioning a computer modelling generic study of intertidal and flat areas with Hydraulics Research Ltd. at Wallingford.
2000. Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the annual amount of electricity that would be generated by the most favoured tidal barrage scheme currently being proposed for the Severn estuary; and if he will express this as a percentage of the electricity demand forecast for England and Wales in(a) 1987 and (b)
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThe Severn tidal power group estimates that the most favoured barrage proposed for the Severn estuary on the line seaward of Cardiff to Weston-super-Mare would produce about 14.4 Terawatt hours per year, or 6 per cent. of current electricity demand for England and Wales. The percentage in the year 2000 will depend on the growth in demand.