They propose the creation of artificial lagoons to generate energy.

Artificial barriers from the Tidal Lagoon Power project

UK, specifically Tidal Lagoon Power Company makes a rather juicy but dubious proposal to build a network of lagoons surrounding the entire UK coastline to provide its inhabitants with a renewable energy source.

The creation of these artificial lagoons That sounds like a very ambitious idea on the part of this company It is mainly based on being able to take advantage of tidal energy that these lagoons will create when they are at different levels between both volumes of water, simulating the tides.

If you do not remember what this energy consists of, you can take a look at the article "Differences between tidal energy and wave energy"

They want to resemble the millers who for centuries have taken advantage of the power of the water when passing through the mills to be able to grind the cereal, which at the level of reinterpretation instead of a grinding wheel they find a turbine and instead of wind they use the tidal currents, since a turbine is practically the same as a wind turbine with the difference of the wind.

Why are you betting on the creation of artificial lagoons?

Instead of putting wind power have opted for tidal energy due to the density of water, specifically the density of air is 832 times less dense than sea water, which means that a 350 km / h wind has much less kinetic energy than a 5 knot ocean current.

Knots? Knots may sound like a measurement system in the sea, but to be sure I will tell you that a knot is equivalent to 1,85km / h, so 5 knots would be 9,26 km / h, with which you can see that it is a difference huge thanks to the density of seawater.

We also have the advantage that tidal turbines are much smaller than wind turbines and its operation is very simple.

It is enough for each turbine to rotate to generate the electricity that is deemed necessary and then it is transferred to earth by cable.

UK turbine design

The beginnings

Tidal Lagoon Power, that is, those responsible for the firm have suggested starting with a test and having the first man-made lagoon in Swansea Bay located in Wales.

With this they estimate to get supply around 150.000 households nothing less, to later create more gaps of this type and go weaving a network to include in the project 6 lakes more located in Colwyn Bay, Somerset, Cardiff, West Cumbria, Bridgwater and Newport.

Being able to cover with tidal power up to 8% of UK demand.

If you still cannot get used to the magnitude of this project, just make a mental image of a "lagoon" (one of the proposed lagoons) with 22 km of artificial barriers in the sea with approximately 90 turbines.

A huge work!

Tidal Lagoon Power Artificial Barrier Design

These hydraulic turbines will be bidirectional optimizing the installation with more than 7 meters in diameter, at least this is what the company wants to install.

“The maximum theoretical potential energy that can be captured during a year by a similar season, but without artificial lagoon, it reaches 20% of the tidal energy. The technology we use allows to increase this quota up to 60%”, They explain from the company.

The British Minister of Energy has already given the go-ahead although of course, this proposal also has opponents pointing out that the cost of the work will increase the household bill by 34 euros for at least 120 years, reaching a total cost of approximately 1.200 million euros.

If you allow me to give my opinion on it, then give me yours without any kind of hesitation, I am not so worried about the bill because at the end of the day you are investing in a renewable and sustainable energy that in the long run (120 years is too many) will pay off because you will considerably reduce your electricity consumption, but I am more concerned about the environmental impact that this will produce.

By this I mean to build 6 or 7 artificial lagoons in the sea with about 22 km of barriers it will destroy much of the ecosystem leading to tremendous disruption and loss of biodiversity.

So you have to look closely at all kinds of details and evaluate this impact and a few others, even if it is by betting on renewable energy, we also have to take care of what we already have and not lose it.


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  1.   Emilio Martin said

    We have roadsides, estuaries and marshes that can do the same effect perhaps with less economic and ecological costs, as in tidal mills. In France there has been a meromotive power station for years

    1.    Daniel Palomino said

      You are absolutely right Emilio, there are things much easier to do and obviously with a lower environmental impact, which there will always be.
      In the United Kingdom apparently they want to go big but another thing is that they can.

      We will be on the lookout to see how the project evolves and if it is carried out or not.

      Thanks for commenting and greetings.