Three months after putting the brakes on the nascent tidal energy industry with the launch of a review, the government has now named a trusted insider to lead it.
Above: Former energy minister Charles Hendry will lead a team of civil servants for an ‘independent’ review of tidal lagoons
On 10th February 2016 the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) announced that it was suspending its support for the proposed £1bn Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project pending the outcome of an ‘independent’ review that it was commissioning into the technology.
“Whilst progress has been made to understand this technology, more work needs to be done to determine whether they present value for money,” it said at the time. [See our previous report here.]
DECC said that the review would be ‘independent’. Three months later, it has now appointed former Conservative MP Charles Hendry to lead it. Mr Hendry was energy minister from May 2010 until September 2012. He will be supported by a team of civil servants.
The review will assess the strategic case for tidal lagoons and whether they could play a cost effective role as part of the UK energy mix. The review will also help establish an evidence base to ensure all decisions made regarding tidal lagoon energy are in the best interest of the UK. Its findings are expected to be announced in the autumn, DECC said.
This article was published on 9 May 2016 (last updated on 9 May 2016).
