London Eye architect proposes 14-mile tidal power station off Somerset coast | Hydropower

The architect of the London Eye wants to build a vast tidal power station in a 14-mile arc off the coast of Somerset, which could help Britain meet growing demand for electricity to power artificial intelligence – and create a new race track to allow cyclists to fly over the Bristol Channel.

Julia Barfield, who designed the Eye and the i360 observation tower in Brighton, is part of the team that developed the £11 billion proposal. It would stretch from Minehead to Watchet and use 125 underwater turbines to harness the power of the world’s second highest tidal range.

The proposal comes amid growing concern that Britain’s growing use of AI will lead to higher carbon emissions unless more renewable energy sources are found. The AI ​​boom is expected to add to a sharp rise in electricity demand across the UK, which the government estimates this month could more than double by 2050.

“If the decision is to increasingly adopt AI – which I’m surprised is not being questioned more in the time of the climate emergency – then it will be better with a renewable energy source,” Barfield said. “Data centers could double energy demand and this is a predictable and reliable source.”

The dam would not cross the full width of the canal but would instead curve to and from the Somerset coast with a peak output of 2.5GW – not far from the peak power that will be created by the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station just 12 miles to the east. This would be enough to power 2 million homes.

The vision includes a trail at the top of the semi-circular dam for walkers and cyclists keen to brave the southwest winds, a water sports marina, a lido and a viewing tower. Local MP Rachel Gilmour, who supports the plan, said the trail would “become absolutely iconic”.

The designers have tentatively suggested that it might also be possible to install data centers within the structure, allowing them to benefit from cheap seawater cooling. It is hoped that oyster and mussel farms, floating solar panel arrays and a coastal amphitheater will boost the economy of Minehead, once a popular seaside resort and now one of the 20% most deprived areas in Britain.

The UK’s latest energy policy states that tidal and wave energy could play a role “if their costs can be reduced”.

“We have people who want to fund it, but they will only do so if the government supports us,” said Aidan Clegg, chief executive of the consortium. “They need to take this seriously. It’s not hypothetical – we have a solid plan in place.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We are open to considering well-developed proposals to harness tidal energy in the bays and estuaries around our coasts, which demonstrate excellent value for money. The IA Energy Council brings together the likes of Neso. [the National Energy System Operator]EDF, Microsoft and Google to meet the energy needs of AI, explore opportunities to attract investment and support the development of low-carbon energy for data centers.

Tidal power is more predictable than wind and solar power, although there are several hours when the tides turn each day with little or no power. Supporters of the West Somerset Lagoon project estimate it would last 120 years and therefore produce electricity more cheaply than nuclear power.

It was designed several years ago with the aim of reducing the UK’s carbon footprint. Since then, the AI ​​revolution has begun and is now poised to significantly increase energy demand. Britain’s national energy system operator, Neso, has predicted that electricity demand for data centers will triple by 2035. The vast racks of microprocessors needed to train and run AI models and store the ever-growing mountains of data on which the 21st century technology economy relies will account for most of the overall increase in electricity demand in the commercial sector.

The West Somerset Lagoon is the latest in a series of proposals to harness the tidal energy of the Severn Estuary. In the 1980s, further lagoons were proposed in the narrowest part of the estuary, closer to Bristol, while a full dam from near Cardiff to near Weston-super-Mare has been suggested more recently, raising concerns about large-scale and irreversible change to the estuary system. The latest proponents of the idea say the lagoon will not interrupt shipping channels to the ports of Bristol and Cardiff and is outside protected areas such as local nature reserves and special areas of conservation.

“Minehead and this whole area of ​​West Somerset is an area of ​​deprivation and this project will bring about positive transformation,” Barfield said. “It will create full-time skilled jobs, a water sports area, a lido, a visitors centre, a viewing tower and cultural facilities. It could also become a hub for mussel, seaweed and oyster farming. These are the type of businesses local young people could develop as the tidal range would be better controlled.”