Energy and Climate Change CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by The Severn lake Co. (SEV82)

Report Purpose

To lend support with recommendation to Hafren Power and a privately financed Energy Causeway between Wales and England.

Background

1. The poem, The Severn Lake, was written in 2004 and published in the book “The Grumpy Old Welshman” that year, since republished 2012 in hardback. It is a scathing attack on local councils and the Welsh Assembly Government for the treatment of small business in Wales.

2. To balance the argument, my vision and innovation for jobs was included. The possible 32,000 jobs created by building an Energy Causeway seemed more important than bus passes. The “Energy Policy......” booklet in 2002 and published by the Coal Authority clearly showed an energy gap.

3. To my astonishment, I discovered that apart from 14,000 plus documents on the “barrage” website, no-one and no single company had actually kicked it off.

4. On 1 March 2006, I placed a “change of use” planning application with the Vale of Glamorgan and Sedgemoor Councils. The application was to change the Severn river by placing an Energy Causeway that would create a 145,000 hectare. The Vale of Glamorgan returned the application with recommendations on planning needs. Sedgemoor sent the application to the DTI at 1 Victoria Street London. The journey up to the present time and nine Energy Ministers down the line, will also be written in a book “The Severn Lake”.

5. In July 2006 The Severn Lake website was launched and has been the “News on the Severn” “With a strong following, including HM Government Departments”. The very first home page is shown as Fig.1.

6. As part of the journey, we have had discussions and Open Days with Sedgemoor Council and the public, The labour Party at Clevedon, The Friends of the Earth, The Green Party at Bristol, and many other smaller meetings to provide our vision for this project and to listen to their fears and suggestions. I have never been asked to supply any information in Wales.

7. The biggest surprise to this project is the huge support from the South West for this scheme. We have had financial offers to buy shares from elderly residents in the hope of regenerating jobs along the Eastern shoreline for their children. Another surprise was the vociferous argument against a road or rail links citing a rat-run to Cornwall from Wales!, and finally, we discovered that most of the environmentalists we have met ie Friends of the Earth, The Green Party and others are wholly supportive of this project. We consider at least 90%, but their leaders do not reflect this! It might be an idea to have a large open convention with an open vote to gauge the true feeling for this project.

8. The forming of the company, Hafren Power, by businessmen and entrepreneurs should be applauded and supported. Despite press reports ignoring the recommendations of the November 2006 Energy Review, in that any energy supply should be privately financed, it is encouraging to see Victorian values and projects back on the agenda. The country as a whole do not understand the delay.

Recommendations

(a) Overall. The Severn lake vision was for a complete ribbon development to include not just the Energy Causeway, but all the commercial and tourism activities. That can be introduced. Care should be taken in design to accommodate these much needed activities. Shipping channels for small and large craft safer areas on the lake and approaches to the scheme must be thought through as a “whole” development not a “bolt on” later.

(b) Power Plant Technical. It is our opinion that only tried and tested turbine technology centred in the deep area of the Severn venturi will capture tile power effectively and efficiently. The Tri·Wall Tri-Pod single direction bulb turbine system can only be the safe way to collect the energy. A UK Patent held by one of the Worlds foremost leaders in turbine technology, Mr. Alexander Gokhman of California USA has been configured to specifically meet the needs of this project. His paper has been published (Alexander Gokhman, Severn Estuary ideas for development, International Water Power & Dam Construction. Vol. 63, No. 2 (2011)) and is with HM Government. Our concerns regarding the Hafren Power House proposals are as follows:

(i)The Tri-dam Tidal Power Plant concept needs only one set of one-way turbines for generating power during both ebb and flood tides. It uses frequency converters which permit the turbines to work at their optimal operating regime for the entire variation of head during both ebb and flood tides. It also uses bypasses passing water parallel to the power house at the ends of ebb and flood cycles. These three features allow use of commercially available and tested in the field Voith bulb turbines equipped with axial fixed-blade propeller runners. As a result. the turbines of the Tri-dlam Tidal Power Plant always work at their peak efficiency and without pulsations or vibrations. These turbines also have high discharge capacities that result in the fact that only 64 turbines with 9 meter diameter runners can provide 5% of the UK’s annual energy consumption.

(ii)In order to provide the same 5% of UK’s annual energy consumption, Hafren Power’s proposal uses 1064 not tested in the field bidirectional VLH turbines. Since in Hafren Power’s proposal there are no frequency converters, the bidirectional VLH turbines must work at variable heads at constant speed. As a result, these turbines work in both directions mostly off their optimal operating regime with very low efficiencies and, therefore, with high pulsations and vibrations. Also, there are no bypasses in Hafren Power’s proposal.

(iii)Danger to fish passing from the basin to the Bristol channel via turbines caused by runner blade adjustments:

Tri-dam proposal—reduced danger. This proposal uses fixed-blade propeller runners which have no gaps between blades and hub and between blades and runner housing which can trap fish.

Hafren Power’s proposal—significant danger caused by 1064 units with adjustable-blade runners containing fish-trapping gaps.

(iv)Change of physical, chemical and biological conditions in the basin on the inland side of the barrage caused by the reduction of the tidal range on that side. This includes adverse effects on wetlands and beaches:·

Tri-dam proposal—insignificant adverse effect, because, due to the bypasses and the variable speed turbines, the tidal range is almost unchanged from natural conditions.

Hafren Power’s proposal—significant adverse effect, because, the tidal range on the inland side of the barrage is significantly reduced from natural conditions due to the inability to bypass sufficient water to equalise the tidal range.

The Severn lake Company has, through the length of this project, acquired the expertise of many of the World’s experts in this field, and it is part of our mission to give full support to Hafren Power to resolve these complex and technical issues.

(c) Shipping Movement. It is certain that the commercial shipping and dredging companies have a valid reservation to this scheme in any delays encountered. Hafren Power will have the ability by the end of February 2013 to licence a Free Flow Shipping Channel Patent (currently before the Patent Office) which allows the free flow control of shipping by way of variable lock. and gating systems and depth control. The final design of the device should be done with the input of the Port of Bristol Authority, Associated British Ports, local Marinas and other interested parties. It should also be noted that this patent implementation naturally allows for fish pass.

(d) Construction. (Further innovation and vision):

(i)Wave and Power. Consideration should be given to grid supply within the Causeway to allow wave farms to be set up downstream to capture further energy and to console and calm the waters prior to entry into the Causeway turbine houses.

(ii)Islands. The provision of 12 Woodham Islands on the English and Langdon grounds with a dual purpose. Purpose 1, Waste Disposal. The construction process will create huge volumes of rock sediment and construction waste. The building of the islands can absorb all the waste during construction within close proximity to the scheme. Purpose 2, Private and Tourism. The 12 islands (more or less) wouuld have the following title and use:

The Woodham Islands—North to South

1.One eel island.

2.Four private islands.

3.Newman island Studios (sponsored).

4.Yachting. Sailing, lifeguard island (most Eastern side).

5.Schools, innovation. invention centre, nautical tests, government funded.

6.Bird island RSPB. The largest and floating island (most Western side).

7.Island fort visitor centre with seabed restaurant (sponsored).

8.Fishing islands (with wrecks).

9.Diving island [and habitat] (most Southerly island).

All the islands will be self sufficient on water and power.

Conclusion

The Secret of success is “luck and timing·. Power from the Severn was always going to happen. The time is right re: demand. The brave businessmen with the finance re: supply and logically HM Government re: sentiment. The job is big, but construction itself is easy.

Let’s Do It!

January 2013