The £11bn mega project set to power 2m homes and transform one of UK’s most deprived areas | UK | News

A team of British architects and engineers have drawn up ambitious plans to build a massive tidal power station 14 miles off the Somerset coast. The power station will meander from Minehead to Watchet and use 125 underwater turbines to harness the power of the second highest tidal range in the world.

It will have a maximum output of 2.5 GW and will provide almost as much energy as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, 12 miles to the east, once operational. The project will cost £11bn and provide electricity to up to two million homes. The consortium also says the power station could help the UK meet growing demand for electricity to power AI.

Julia Barfield is one of the architects behind the project and her claims to fame include the London Eye and the i360 observation tower in Brighton.

“If the decision is to increasingly adopt AI (I’m surprised this isn’t being questioned more during the climate emergency) then it would be better with a renewable energy source,” he told The Guardian.

“Data centers can double energy demand, and it is a predictable and reliable source.”

The consortium hopes the power plant will help create jobs and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Minehead was once a thriving holiday destination but is now one of the 20% poorest areas in Britain.

There are plans for oyster and mussel beds, rows of floating solar panels and a coastal amphitheater.

The team also wants to make the area attractive to the public and is including a path along the top of the semicircular dam for walkers and cyclists.

They also plan to build a water sports marina, lido and observation tower.

Tidal energy is more reliable than wind and solar energy, but there are several hours each day when tides change direction and provide little or no power.

Supporters of the West Somerset Lagoon project believe it will last 120 years and produce energy cheaper than nuclear power.

The idea to build the power station emerged several years ago in a bid to reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions.