WIREDGOV

Natural England urges government not to commit to tidal power without full understanding of environmental impacts.

Natural England welcomes the consultation announced today by DECC into options for tidal energy in the Severn Estuary, but warned that no decisions can be made without a much wider understanding of how the globally significant environment of the Severn Estuary will be affected.

Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive, said: “We welcome the priority that DECC is giving to this consultation and to ensuring that the very considerable potential of tidal power is properly explored. Tackling climate change requires us to make a step change in the way we think about renewable energy, but we have to ensure that the decisions we make stand the test of time and do not leave a legacy of environmental destruction in their wake.

“It is right to look at the tidal energy potential of the Severn Estuary, but we cannot go into a project of this scale without a detailed understanding of what the environmental impacts are going to be, without clarifying how we replace the habitats that are likely to be lost, and without a wide-ranging assessment of whether there are better alternatives to meeting the UK’s renewable energy commitments”.

Helen Phillips welcomed the extent to which DECC is looking at a range of tidal power options for the Severn Estuary and the real commitment being made to understanding their environmental impact. “The Severn Estuary is one of the most important wildlife habitats in Europe. We need to fully explore not only the impacts on the wildlife, habitats and natural processes of the Estuary itself, but also the impacts on the wider landscape, such as the extensive transmission and grid connection infrastructure likely to be needed.”

In addition to the consultation announced today, Natural England believes that Government needs to make a wider strategic assessment of opportunities and alternatives within the renewables energy mix. Helen Phillips continued, “The UK has huge potential for generating renewable energy and there are real choices that we can make. We cannot sacrifice an environment as sensitive as the Severn Estuary without resolving, once and for all, whether there are better alternatives - we need to look at renewable energy and energy conservation in the round and satisfy ourselves that tidal power in this area - with all the environmental consequences that go with it – really is the best route to take”.

Natural England highlighted the challenge the government faces in sticking to its commitments under European law to offset any damage or loss to European designated conservation sites. The Severn Estuary is one of the most extensively designated areas in Britain and the scale of habitat creation likely to be needed if a tidal power scheme were given the go-ahead would exceed anything previously undertaken in Britain, raising real doubts whether a scheme could be given the go ahead unless current legislation was bypassed.

Helen Phillips continued, “Government needs to ensure that in considering any tidal power options in the Severn Estuary it sticks by its commitment under the Habitats Directive to mitigate the loss of habitat and species. We need to ensure that tackling the global problem of climate change is not done at the expense of globally significant wildlife sites and the legislative framework that protects them.”