 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Renewable energy |
| Founded | London, UK (26 August 2010) |
| Founder |
|
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Headquarters | , UK |
Key people | |
| Website | as archived in June 2013 [7] |
Hafren Power (formerly Corlan Hafren) was a tidal energy business formed to promote construction of a Severn Barrage between Wales and England.
The company was established in 2010 [1] as a consortium of companies forming a tidal energy business. [8] Its founders included engineering and construction companies, [9] [10] intending to promote the Severn Barrage. [10] It was originally named Corlan Hafren, [3] which means Severn Group in Welsh. [11] As of August 2012 [update] it comprises four companies, Arup, [12] Mott MacDonald, [12] [13] [14] Halcrow [12] [14] and architects Marks Barfield. [12] [14] Halcrow is lead company. [15] Associated companies and persons involved in the project include Atkins, Rolls-Royce, [4] accountants KPMG [11] [16] and Roger Falconer. [11]
Journalist Christopher Booker of The Sunday Telegraph noted in August 2012 that former Conservative environment secretary John Gummer is a former director of the company. As of August 2012 [update] one sixth of shares were held by Sancroft International, which is owned by the Gummer family. [2]
The House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee examined Hafren Power's proposal in 2013, coming to the conclusion:
Although construction of the barrage would be privately financed, Government support would be required for approximately thirty years through Contracts for Difference (CfD) or a similar mechanism. The strike price required by Hafren Power is unknown, but the ability of the project to compete with other low-carbon forms of energy is in doubt. A high strike price risks swamping the Levy Control Framework (LCF), while a strike price below £100/MWh appears unlikely to ensure the project’s economic viability. Hafren Power have failed to overcome the serious environmental concerns that have been raised. Further research, data and modelling are needed before environmental impacts can be determined with any certainty – in particular regarding fluvial flood risk, intertidal habitats and impact to fish. The need for compensatory habitat on an unprecedented scale casts doubt on whether the project could achieve compliance with the EU Habitats Directive. [17]
In 2013 and 2014 several executives and the CEO resigned. [18] Shortly after, Wales Online reported Hafren Power as defunct. [19]
In 2010 the company revived proposals for the Severn Barrage [6] from Cardiff to Weston-super-Mare [20] and in 2011 it presented them to the Department of Energy and Climate Change. [21] Former shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain and company representatives met with Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2012 to promote the project. [21]
The company said that the project will not require public funding and expected to attract investment from venture capital firms and pension funds. [16] It had sought funding from sovereign wealth funds, [3] stating that expressions of interest have been received from such funds and other investors in Kuwait, Qatar, [22] the UK [23] and elsewhere. [22]
Hafren Power stated the scheme would require £25 billion of capital investment, and estimated power costs were about £100 per MWh for the first 30 years, and £20 per MWh thereafter. [17]
Severn crossing is a term used to refer to the two motorway crossings over the River Severn estuary between England and Wales operated by England's National Highways. The two crossings are:
The Second Severn Crossing, officially renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge since July 2018, is the M4 motorway bridge over the River Severn between England and Wales, opened in 1996 to supplement the traffic capacity of the Severn Bridge built in 1966. The bridge is operated by England's National Highways. It has a total length of 5,128 metres (16,824 ft).
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean. It takes its name from the English city of Bristol, and is over 30 miles (50 km) wide at its western limit.
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The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its high tidal range, approximately 50 feet (15 m), means that it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.
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The Severn Barrage is any of a range of ideas for building a barrage from the English coast to the Welsh coast over the Severn tidal estuary. Ideas for damming or barraging the Severn estuary have existed since the 19th century. The building of such a barrage would constitute an engineering project comparable with some of the world's biggest. The purposes of such a project have typically been one or several of: transport links, flood protection, harbour creation, or tidal power generation. In recent decades it is the latter that has grown to be the primary focus for barrage ideas, and the others are now seen as useful side-effects. Following the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study (2008–10), the British government concluded that there was no strategic case for building a barrage but to continue to investigate emerging technologies. In June 2013 the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee published its findings after an eight-month study of the arguments for and against the Barrage. MPs said the case for the barrage was unproven. They were not convinced the economic case was strong enough and said the developer, Hafren Power, had failed to answer serious environmental and economic concerns.
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Halcrow Group Limited was a multinational engineering consultancy company, based in the United Kingdom
Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study is the name of a UK Government feasibility study into a tidal power project looking at the possibility of using the huge tidal range in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel to generate electricity.
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