Introduction
The Severn Estuary Commission was established in March 2024 by the Western Gateway Partnership to assess the feasibility of tidal range energy generation in the Severn Estuary. After a year’s engagement with more than 500 experts and stakeholders with the support of specialist consultancies, the Severn Estuary Commission has concluded that development of tidal range energy in the Severn Estuary is feasible.
This collection of reports provides key insights into the Commission’s findings. The main report outlines the Commission’s deliberations and recommendations, while supporting documents offer in-depth analysis on specific areas, including engineering considerations, energy system impacts, economic assessments, and funding and financing models.
These reports aim to provide a clear evidence base for policymakers, industry leaders, and the public, informing the next steps in exploring tidal range energy as part of the UK’s transition to low-carbon, secure, and reliable power generation.
Severn Estuary Commission Full Report & Summary Report
The Commission’s report presents its deliberations based on expert technical reports from specialist consultancies, covering four key areas: environmental impact, socio-economic factors, financing models, and energy production implications. It evaluates the feasibility of sustainable electricity generation from the Severn Estuary, drawing on insights from over 500 individuals across more than 200 local and national organisations during a year-long engagement process. See the summary report for a high-level summary outlining the commission’s approach, key findings, and recommendations.
Supporting Documents
Environment
The report considers the Estuary’s tidal resource, its capacity and potential to support tidal energy projects with regards to the environment and environmental impacts associated with a tidal range scheme, with a view to providing conclusions and recommendations on the Estuary’s capacity, existing knowledge gaps and legislative considerations relevant to decision making on any future proposals.
Authors: WSP, APEM, and Tresor Consulting.
Appendices
A – Severn Estuary Environment Evidence Base
B – GoldSET Multi-Criteria Analysis
C – Legislation, Policy and Compensation Frameworks
D – Severn Estuary Climate Baseline
E – Stakeholder Engagement Report
Socio-economic
The report updates the regional economy summary for the Severn Estuary, examining existing evidence on tidal range energy generation. It assesses the economic impacts of investment, including local supply chain growth, workforce development, and sector interactions. It also considers the effects on ports, businesses, and communities, identifying ways to minimise disruptions and maximise opportunities.
Authors: Hardisty Jones Associates, Oxford Economics, and Arcadis
Appendices:
Appendix 6 – Regional Economy Baseline
Appendix 7 – Core Effects Modelling – The future economic impact of tidal range energy in the Severn Estuary
Appendix 8 – Flood Risk and Coastal Erosion Topic Paper
Please note appendices 1-5 are provided within the main report.
Funding and Financing
The report examines financial and commercial models for delivering tidal range projects. It reviews funding and financing lessons from large UK infrastructure projects, assesses key funding options including DBFO, Cap & Floor, CfD, and RAB, and provides financial analysis to compare tidal range with other generation technologies.
Author: Agilia Infrastructure Partners
Grid Connection
The report assesses the potential impact of tidal range energy generation in the Severn Estuary on the GB power system. It simulates the effects on wholesale power prices, transmission constraint costs, CfD policy costs, and system resilience, all of which influence consumer prices. The analysis is based on assumptions about the future development and location of energy supply and demand.
Author: Arup
Engineering
This report outlines the engineering aspects of tidal power in the Severn Estuary to support the Severn Estuary Commission’s feasibility assessment. It compiles findings from two sources: relevant sections of WSP’s report to Western Gateway (March 2024) and a summary of engineering considerations prepared for the Commission in late 2024/2025.
Author: WSP
