A tidal generating station at Cardiff, Wales is expected to deliver electricity at a cost of £90 to £95 per megawatt-hour, on a par with conventional power sources like nuclear.
Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd. is now in negotiations for an initial, 320-MW development that generate electricity at £168/MWh. But Tidal Lagoon spokeperson Andy Field said a second, 2,800-MW plant would be able to hit the lower price point.
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“Once we’ve proven the concept and set up the supply chain, future facilities are just a replication of the first, but each will need to make its own environmental case to proceed,” he said.
“A price of £90 to £95 for its power would compare with the £92.50 the government offered Electricité de France SA for its Hinkley Point C nuclear station,” Bloomberg notes. “The project would use 90 turbines installed between Cardiff and Newport and have a lifespan of 120 years. Hinkley Point C would have a 3,200-MW capacity and operate for about 60 years.”
