Would animals benefit from the Barrage Severn Estuary build?

1. What are the advantages of the Severn Barrage?
2. Are tidal barrages beneficial to the wildlife?
3. Do tidal barrages damage habitats?
4. Why a tidal barrage would be suited to an estuary?
5. How much energy would the Severn barrage produce?
6. How much would the Severn barrage cost?
7. Does wave power affect wildlife?
8. Does wave Power pollute the sea?
9. Are tidal barrages a reliable way to produce electricity at predictable times?
10. What effects can tidal barrages have on water quality?
11. What are the bad environmental impacts of tidal energy?
12. Are tidal barrages useful for storing energy?
13. How does barrage tidal energy work?
14. How efficient are tidal barrages?

What are the advantages of the Severn Barrage?

The Severn barrage would take advantage of the tidal stream on the River Severn to produce 5% of our energy requirements. That is not just 5% of our renewable requirements – that is 5% of our total energy requirements (equivalent to 3 or 4 nuclear reactors).

Are tidal barrages beneficial to the wildlife?

Tidal barrages

The Severn Estuary and the rivers that feed into it contain a wealth of wildlife, supporting more than 60,000 wintering waders and wildfowl and some rare or scarce fish species.

Do tidal barrages damage habitats?

However the most publicised impact of tidal barrages is the potential loss of certain habitats, especially inter-tidal mudflats and salt-marshes. ... Fish and marine mammals may suffer damage by collision with the barrage and turbines.

Why a tidal barrage would be suited to an estuary?

Instead of damming water on one side like a conventional dam, a tidal barrage allows water to flow into a bay or river during high tide, and releases the water during low tide. This is done by measuring the tidal flow and controlling the sluice gates at key times of the tidal cycle.

How much energy would the Severn barrage produce?

It would have generated 7,200 MW on the flow of the tides (the largest barrage considered could have produced double that power output).

How much would the Severn barrage cost?

Estimates have put the cost of an 18km (11 mile) barrage between the Vale of Glamorgan and Weston-super-Mare at around £30bn.

Does wave power affect wildlife?

The study of wildlife, collected over the last decade around wave and tidal energy test sites in Orkney, has found little evidence of any long-term effects on the use of surrounding seas by the birds and marine mammals. ...

Does wave Power pollute the sea?

Effect on Marine Ecosystem

As clean as wave energy is, it still creates hazards for some of the creatures near it. ... There is also a danger of toxic chemicals that are used on wave energy platforms spilling and polluting the water near them.

Are tidal barrages a reliable way to produce electricity at predictable times?

Unlike wind, tides are predictable and stable. Where tidal generators are used, they produce a steady, reliable stream of electricity. Placing turbines in tidal streams is complex, because the machines are large and disrupt the tide they are trying to harness.

What effects can tidal barrages have on water quality?

When a tidal barrage releases water, the water flows too quickly and turbulently to allow for proper circulation. The turbulence of the water flow can also increase the turbidity of the water, creating other biological issues.

What are the bad environmental impacts of tidal energy?

Tidal power can damage marine life, as tidal turbines with their rotating blades may lead to deaths of living creatures in a sea. Noise from the rotation of the turbines may also impact fish habitations in tidal power locations. Tidal energy can also impact the quality of water and sediment processes.

Are tidal barrages useful for storing energy?

Huge amounts of water move in and out of river mouths each day because of the tides. A tidal barrage is a barrier built over a river estuary to make use of the kinetic energy in the moving water. The barrage contains electricity generators, which are driven by the water rushing through tubes in the barrage.

How does barrage tidal energy work?

Tidal barrages are low-walled dams, usually installed at tidal inlets or estuaries. ... During an incoming high tide, water flows over the turbines as the water rises. Then, the water flows back through the turbines as it becomes low tide. The turbines are connected to a generator which produces the electricity.

How efficient are tidal barrages?

Tidal turbines are 80% efficient, which is higher than solar or wind energy generators. Barrages reduce the damage of high tidal surges on the land.