Time to press on with Severn Barrage - Peter Hain MP tells committee
THE time has come to press ahead with the £25billion Severn Barrage scheme, a former Government minister has told a commons committee.
The project would create thousands of much-needed jobs and help tackle climate change, said Neath Labour MP Peter Hain, who said the prospect of a Severn Barrage had been "studied to death".
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He made an impassioned plea in support of the controversial proposal, which he said would bring "considerable benefits" to the UK.
The former Welsh Secretary told the Energy and Climate Change Committee that 50,000 jobs would be created by the barrage.
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It would provide 5 per cent of the UK's electricity, equivalent to three or four nuclear power stations and thousands of wind turbines, he said.
And it would also give flood protection to 90,000 properties, he told MPs.
Around 20,000 direct jobs would be created, as well as 30,000 others in the supply chain and other parts of industry, giving a huge economic boost to South Wales and to South West England, he added.
The Neath MP said he understood the controversy generated by the proposal, which has sparked opposition from environmental groups and suggestions that it would hit the port at Bristol.
Mr Hain said a Severn Barrage was a "win-win" project for ports in Bristol and Port Talbot and maintained it had attracted almost universal support from the Welsh public.
"This has been studied to death. We could carry on researching this for decades to come, meanwhile we are not achieving our climate change objectives and missing out on the massive economic benefits.
"We have to think big, act big and grasp this opportunity. This is natural power which in the long term will produce incredibly cheap electricity for the UK and has many other benefits."
Andy Richards of the Unite union agreed there was "significant" public support in Wales.
He said it was time to move on from the "scaremongering" and start to examine the detail of the proposal by Hafren Power, the firm behind the scheme.
"I hope the opposition is not being based on parochial future business interests," he said.
Organisations opposed to the proposals for a barrage across the Severn challenged claims it would reduce flooding and could deliver environmental benefits, warning the evidence did not support suggestions by its backers.
The RSPB's Kate Jennings said a previous feasibility study into a barrage found that while it could prevent a storm surge coming up the estuary, it would increase the risk of river flooding above the barrier and damage flood defences.
She also said there would be fundamental changes to the estuary and substantial habitat loss, with significant impacts on 30 species of birds and five special protection areas, as well as affecting migratory bird populations beyond the UK.
She said: "It seems to be a high risk option from every point of view, from an investor point of view, from a flood risk point of view, from an environmental point of view."
Martin Salter of the Angling Trust hit out at claims the turbines would be fish-friendly, warning the barrage would be a 24-hour "fish mincing" scheme in an estuary providing 25 per cent of the UK's salmon habitat.
The Environment Agency had said it did not know of any turbine design which would allow the safe passage of fish through at the scale proposed, he told MPs.
"Frankly, the claims that these turbines are fish-friendly are absolute guff," he said.
"The impact could be absolutely devastating on the commercial fishery, the recreational fishery and important habitats."
The trust fears the barrage could hit angling, a hugely popular and economically valuable sport which sustains 37,000 jobs.
Simon Pryor from the National Trust said a barrage would have a major impact on a wide area, and be visible from places such as Exmoor, the Mendips and the Wales coast path.
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's chief executive Martin Spray said the organisation's site in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, received a quarter of a million visitors a year to see its bird life, and the barrage would have an impact on that.
Although they oppose Hafren's Severn barrage scheme, the groups said they were not against renewable energy.
They expressed support for looking at other technology options that have been proposed to harness power from the estuary – which has the second highest tidal range in the world – with a lower impact on the region.
Comments
by johndavies
Tuesday, January 22 2013, 2:14PM
“Reply to Philosoraptor's comment:-
"Lets build coal stations. - No! Pollution!
Lets build gas stations. -No! Explosions and pollution!
Lets build nuclear stations. - No! Meltdowns and waste!
Lets build wind turbines. - No! Inefficient and eyesore!
Lets build dams. -No! Wildlife and flora!
Lets build Thorium stations. -No! Too expensive!
Lets build solar plants. -No! Wrong place on Earth!
Lets build Methane stations. -No. They smell!
Lets build a tidal barge. -No! It will flood and take too long!
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HIPPY FOLKS SUGGEST THEN?!"
Actually, we recommend underwater tidal turbines, like the very successful trial one at Stangford Loch, by Seagen. Also tidal lagoons, as proposed for Swansea Bay. Ie things which don't prevent the flow, so don't silt up, and cause associated problems.
In addition Thorium is the long term way to go.
Don't worry, we'll be buying them from India and China in the next 10/15 years - since our government won't put any money towards these alternatives. (Have they all got their fingers in the wind farm subsidy scam??)”
by Dr_Conker
Saturday, January 12 2013, 9:33AM
“Peter Hain is a fool who has no interest in serving his constituents - only his own agenda”
by siarad2
Friday, January 11 2013, 10:48PM
“Sorry my English wasn't of the best I missed out a word.
Spinning reserve effectively consumes 7% of wind generation, which UK total 'generation' today
is a miserly 0.64GW, enough to boil the kettles of just 10% of Cardiff's population.
Only 7% of 0.64Gw would be wasted.
However it's not that simple as the percentage is an overall one not a daily one which isn't directly measurable, like Greenwich mean time can't be measured but averaged over a year.”
by mahatmacoat
Friday, January 11 2013, 8:56PM
“Siarad 2 states that the " Spinning Reserve" required as back up to wind turbines equates to 0.64 GW. That is 640 MW. Baglan bay power station is 450 MW so that gives some idea what is wasted. The old Tir John station was 100 MW. The turbines and generating sets have increased maintainence costs as these units are not designed to be run in this mode. ever heard of a jet engine which is what a gas turbine is running at 2% load for prolonged periods. These power stations on standby for unsuitable wind conditions have to be manned and a return has to be made on the massive capital expenditure they require to be built.”
by siarad2
Friday, January 11 2013, 7:40PM
“Spinning reserve effectively consumes 7% of wind generation, which UK total today, is a miserly 0.64GW, enough to boil the kettles of just 10% of Cardiff's population.”
by mahatmacoat
Friday, January 11 2013, 6:44AM
“For every MW of electricity produced by wind power an equal amount of energy must be immediately available from a fossil or nuclear powered generating sets. This "Spinning Reserve" is hopelessly inefficient as basically it's just like a car ticking over at the lights. The turbines providing this "Spinning Reserve" are not built to operate on slow roll but this they must do in case the wind is too strong or weak. Powergen or whoever run the barrage will consult the tide tables and until the day the barrage shuts down they will be able to predict how many MW they will be able to produce and at what time. They will also have the ability to hold back water upstream of the barrage to cope with peak demand times. OK so the nesting habit of water fowl will be altered and the migratory track of the minute number of Salmon & Sea trout in the Severn might be affected. For every waterfowl and fish that might be affected by it how many more will be saved in the Artic circle if the alleged global warming can be held back.”
by strewth
Thursday, January 10 2013, 11:15PM
“I'm for it as long as they reduce the wind farm eyesores in our beautiful countryside”
by Neathboy234
Thursday, January 10 2013, 10:34PM
“siarad2 i agree it's never going to happen, and i'm sure all the birds and wildlife can be relieved at that.”
by williamwaun
Thursday, January 10 2013, 9:58PM
“Philosoraptor.
So true, people will moan about everything. China and America are polluting and we pay extra taxes and reduce our emissions but it won't make a difference. The government should shut down all the power stations for a week and then see what the people will want.”
by Philosoraptor
Thursday, January 10 2013, 9:28PM
“Lets build coal stations. - No! Pollution!
Lets build gas stations. -No! Explosions and pollution!
Lets build nuclear stations. - No! Meltdowns and waste!
Lets build wind turbines. - No! Inefficient and eyesore!
Lets build dams. -No! Wildlife and flora!
Lets build Thorium stations. -No! Too expensive!
Lets build solar plants. -No! Wrong place on Earth!
Lets build Methane stations. -No. They smell!
Lets build a tidal barge. -No! It will flood and take too long!
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HIPPY FOLKS SUGGEST THEN?!”