Energy: A barrage is the answer, not underwater turbines

From Brian Le Fondré.

IN response to Terry Thuillier’s letter (JEP, 31 January), I would like comment on some of the points he makes.

He states that the Rance barrage scheme is very successful. I would agree with that. The proposed Severn barrage, with an output of up to 8GW of electricity and costing around £14bn, is also on the drawing board. And according to Ed Miliband, the UK’s climate and energy secretary, ‘We’re talking about an extraordinary resource of tidal power which, if properly deployed, could have enormous benefits in terms of meeting our renewable energy targets and our wider climate change objectives.’

So tidal power in the UK is seriously being considered by the government. It would appear that costs involved are not the main consideration for this scheme, and the same could apply to the Jersey scheme. The maintenance problems of the Jersey barrage suggested by Mr Thuillier would not be anything like those he predicts as compared with the old Alderney breakwater, which is past its sell-by date anyway. Modern marine construction materials used extensively in Holland and other parts of the world these days are more than up to the job.

The extra roadway linking Noirmont with St Helier would do much to relieve traffic congestion at busy times of the day along St Aubin’s coast road, and the visual impact of the distant barrage viewed from West Park would be no worse than that presented by the Elizabeth Castle breakwater at low tide.

His proposal to install tidal turbines off our north coast in fluctuating tidal currents presents difficult maintenance problems. Also, in the Alderney scheme, where they propose to install 3,000 turbines at a depth of 80 metres, the maintenance problems are going to be formidable.

As he says, this proposal would not meet the energy needs of the Island totally, and would ultimately result in Jersey having to rely on outside sources to maintain its electricity supplies for the future, so we would not be totally independent and we would be subject to the same burden of fluctuating market energy prices as we are now.

Not a happy scenario, I would suggest.

6 Fair Oaks,

St Clement.