"David Hansen" wrote in message
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In the short term I agree with your position - we can either go
fission, or have no power.

If built it would be too little too late.

The lead time for nuclear stations is long. You could have a large tidal
lagoons, employing far more people, in less time.

I posted this a few months back...

Tidal lagoons are being looked into. If they come about then forget gas and
oil and all will be, hopefully cheap electricity.

How Lagoons Work

There are a number of them at various states of water levels. There will
always be power generated. Think of one large dam wall in a circle in a
shallow sea, split it into three sections. The centre section could be 30
foot below the outer two and the high tide level, and fill up via the other
two or the high tide.

It is a matter of having the lagoons filling and emptying at different times
to ensure full power production 24/7. A test lagoon is being suggested at
Swansea in South Wales.

This is different to tidal only at La Rance, France. La Rance is just one
power station. It only generates when the tide is running one-way. It is
quite old now - 1966. Pioneering it is.

Political Spite Makes Matters Worse

Hard nosed cost/benefit eliminated the British coal industry (or more
political spite by Thatcher hating miners). Middle Eastern oil was buttons
to buy and the North Sea was full of cheap gas. Mrs Thatcher was told to
reserve the gas for primarily domestic use and not use it to generate
electricity - use the masses of coal we have under the country to only
generate electricity. She never. The coal industry disappeared with amazing
stocks still under our feet. The North Sea is running out of oil and gas.

Fuel Poverty is a major Problem

Domestic gas prices went through the roof because of world market
conditions - the Uks gas is mainly imported. Fuel poverty is now a major
problem.

Long Term Political View is Important

We are now are semi-dependent on Russian gas as we used a lot of our own
reserves needlessly. Russia refused to supply gas to the Ukraine a few years
ago, so alarm bells rang. We need stable fuel supplies. We get oil and gas
from the politically unstable Middle East and Russia - which is a political
concern over cost/benefit. They have to look at the long term and stability,
not short term gains of utility companies. Then there is the important eco
angle too. Tidal lagoons are both the long-term practical answer and
politically acceptable.

25 Year Project

It will take 25 years. However benefits will come quicker than expected.

* The electricity will be introduced in phases,
* Knock-on effect fresh water reservoirs from rock excavations to combat
water shortages, bridges, etc, by rock excavations.
* Increased insulation levels in buildings at the same would reduce oil,
coal and gas dependency rather quicker than expected.
* Coal, gas and nuclear stations can be decommissioned and any planned costs
in introducing nuclear stations will off-set the lagoons building costs.
* Such a scheme would bring zero unemployment, saving on public social
benefits over 25 years.
* There is the comfort of not being under the reliance of foreign countries
for energy, and being over-friendly with countries you would rather not be.
* Savings on military as the world will be a more peaceful place - oil has
created wars.

The UK over 25 years can easily construct and afford such a scheme. Advances
in rock cutting & transporting machines and methods would ensue. The
technology and design and build can be exported elsewhere for others too.

Unprecedented Project

To meet 100% of Britain and Ireland's need for energy, this is clearly
possible and mostly involves hauling rock from mountains and valleys to the
sea on an unprecedented scale.

* The British Isles geography is the best in the world for such an
undertaking with its high tidal rises and falls.
* It involves moving about 2,500 million tons of rock to the Irish Sea
* Tidal lagoons created out of about 20% of the Irish Sea
* 100% of Britain and Ireland's electricity needs met.

The numbers are staggering but possible:

* A heavy train can move perhaps 500 plus tons of rock
* About 4 or 5 million train loads are needed
* The UKs waste can be dumped into the lagoon walls while under
construction, saving on landfill and re-cycling costs.
* It would take maybe 30 railways to haul rock from say 30 large quarries
over 25 years

There Are Many Knock-On Benefits

* The insides of hills and mountains can be cut out for the rock and lakes
constructed top and bottom to make provision for instant use peak time hydro
stations for half time energy peaks in major football games on TV.
* New valleys can be created
* New lakes
* Fresh water reservoirs
* Rail and road tunnels through mountains
* Rail and road bridges across the Irish Sea
* Deep water ship canals can be cut inland, reducing rail and road transport
of goods - good result for quarried rock.
* Some lagoons can be supertanker harbour/terminals, keeping these massive
pollution risk vessels away from the shore.
* The lagoon walls built can also be bridges
* The lagoons can also be anti tidal surge barriers. Empty the lagoons at
low tide when a surge is expected and allow the lagoons to fill taking
excess water - London will go under if nothing is done.
* Fish can be farmed inside the lagoons preventing foreign trawlers
overfishing and all fish goes to the UK.

Fuel Poverty & Pollution Eliminated

Fuel poverty and pollution will be a thing of the past.

Cheap Fast Transport

The EU has a transport dept that looks at transport for the EU 20, 30, 40
years hence. The aim is super fast intercity trains between all major
cities/centres. One idea is a tunnel between Liverpool and Dublin. As
Holyhead is the halfway point between the two cities that appears a dumb
suggestion and a loooooong expensive tunnel. But a tunnel from Ireland to
North Wales at the shortest point and then a fast link to Liverpool,
Manchester, Birmingham, London is feasible.

However, damming in the Irish Sea to make lagoons to produce all the power
for the UK and Ireland would create maybe two land links anyhow and maybe
one to the Isle of Man. This gives high speed transport bridges. Super fast
Maglev trains between major centres and to Ireland become feasible as
running cost are low.

All cars can be electric, and the auto industry is currently moving that
way.

Overall the lagoon project is well worth looking much deeper into, and
clearly looks highly feasible when all points are viewed.