The Barrage is Dead, Long Live the Fence
Cancellation of the Severn Barrage presents a huge opportunity for Pulse.
The UK Gov. announced the cancellation of the Severn Tidal Energy Project yesterday.
While this has been reported by the press as a blow for tidal power, it is, in-fact, a huge opportunity for Pulse. And here's why:
The Barrrage was a huge concrete dam. Blocking the flow of water, creating an environmental catastrophe by flooding wetlands, and impeding shipping. It also cost a lot of money and had to be built in one big step.
In contrast, a line of Pulse devices across the estuary would not change the flow pattern appreciably, would not impede shipping, and could be built gradually, one machine at a time, at a cost of around £5m for each device. This concept, which we call a "tidal fence" is something we can start on tomorrow now that the barrage idea is out of the way.
The Severn Estuary is very shallow, ideal for our machines. It also has a very high tidal range, which is something we can take advantage of in the device design.
In summary. We love the fact that the barrage has gone, and we're already starting work on our fence - one machine at a time.
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