On 18/10/2010 12:20, TMC wrote:
Just been reading the latest news reports about tidal barrages and
nuclear power

Why does no one mention HEP as a renewable source of energy any more?

Surely there must still be some areas of Wales and Scotland along with
bits of Northen England that would be ripe for building dams and
flooding. May also be beneficial for flood control further down the
valleys.

Can it really be more expensive than new nuclear stations?



I am sure I have heard knowledgable people talking about dams. The
message was that we don't have enough flow in most of our rivers to make
hydro dams viable. Tidal can be used where there is a sufficient tidal
rise and fall, but it seems we haven't many places for that either. The
Rance barrage in Brittany works fine but the tidal range there is
amazing to watch. Can't give a figure off-hand but I visited a few weeks
ago and didn't believe that the sea would rise high enough to cover the
tidal marks on the rock outcrops. The Severn and Morecombe Bay are OK
but the length of barrage in each case makes it horribly expensive.

Peter Scott