Conor Coulter
School of Physical and Geographical Sciences
Should we build tidal barrages?
Tidal barrages are a form of renewable energy that relies on the height difference
between low tide and high tide to produce electricity via turbines. Unfortunately this
requires damming an estuary, which can have a huge impact on the flora and fauna
that live in the estuary. Between this environmental impact and the fairly low amount
of power produced by current tidal barrages (~250MW) it is hard to justify building
this form of renewable power compared to wind or solar. By looking at how much
environmental impact tidal barrages have compared to other forms of renewable
energy, particularly other forms of tidal energy, this poster aims to show that the
amount of power produced is not worth the environmental impact inherent to tidal
barrages, especially when it is compared with other forms of renewable energy.
Postgraduate Conference 2016
Page 25