Britain To Build World's Largest Tidal Power Station

August 8, 2008 2:11 p.m. EST

Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland (AHN) - Great Britain is planning to build the world's largest tidal power station expected to generate 5 percent of the country's power requirement.

The water will come from Severn, Britain's longest river measuring 217.5 miles (350 kilometers). The 7.4 mile (16 km) dam will cover the length of the inlet between England and South Wales.

Its underwater turbines are expected to produce 8.6 gigawatts, sufficient to power 1,000 homes. The project's price tag is estimated at $29 billion (15 billion pound). It has the support of both British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Conservatives leader David Cameron.

When tidal energy firm Marine Current Turbines installed the trial turbine called SeaGen, it generated 150 kilowatts of electricity. Martin Wright, managing director of MCT, explained to Guardian Unlimited, "The best way to think of it is an underwater windmill... There are big masses of water moving on the Earth's surface as a result of the gravitational attraction of the moon. Therefore you have streams occurring where you have accelerated flow."

British Secretary of State for Business John Hutton said once the tidal powered plant is operational, it will reduce U.K.'s dependence on fossil fuel and secure its future energy supply.