Environmental expert says tidal energy 'could have ecological impact'

A green expert has suggested that environmental analysis needs to occur on tidal power sites to help reduce the "small ecological impact" they could have on aquatic life.

Adam Bell, national campaigns co-ordinator at Renewable UK, has said while tidal energy is unlikely to have great consequence in this generation "unless you actually live by the beach", it could have a long-term effect for the surrounding area in the sea.

Therefore, he stated that environmental analysis should be conducted on machinery put into the water "to make sure it doesn't have an adverse impact on local marine life".

Mr Bell was commenting on the recently-released plans to develop a tidal stream project off the north Welsh coast near Anglesey.

RWE npower renewables and Marine Current Turbines have announced that they will construct the tidal energy site, which they claim will be capable of producing 10.5 megawatts of green energy.

There are also plans to build more turbine sites around the UK, including one off the Western Isles of Scotland.

Posted by Joseph Hutton