A Co-Benefits Analytical Framework: Overlap in Protection for People and Ecosystems from Power-Generating Tidal Range Infrastructure

Abstract

Tidal range power plants (TPPs) are reliable electricity generators with the la Rance TPP in France serving as an example of long-term (60+ years) success. Despite their potential for energy delivery, the challenges surrounding TPP development remain substantial. High initial investment and concerns about environmental impacts on marine ecosystems have made it difficult to progress major proposals. With rising sea levels and more frequent, intense storm surges expected to lead to greater inundation of key coastal zones, co-benefits to ecosystems and infrastructure that TPPs may offer are being reconsidered. Using the UK as a case study, we map appropriate tidal resource (>5 m tidal range), 2050 1:25 flood risk areas (1 m rise), coastal zones with conservation specification and areas of high human density. Overlap in these factors reveals specific locations in which further research would usefully estimate potential costs and benefits, socially, ecologically and financially. Viewed together, reduced flood risk to people and infrastructure, ecosystem conservation opportunity and stable energy generation may highlight the future opportunity of TPPs.

Keywords

Tidal power / Conservation benefit / Flood protection / Coastal habitat / Climate change / Sea-level rise / Integrated nature-climate actions

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, C.M.C., I.G., S.A. and I.S.; Methodology, I.G., S.A. and I.S.; Formal Analysis, I.G. and I.S.; Investigation, I.G. and S.A.; Data Curation, I.G., S.A. and I.S.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, I.G. and S.A.; Writing—Review & Editing, C.M.C., I.G., S.A. and I.S.; Visualization, I.G., S.A. and I.S.; Supervision, C.M.C.; Project Administration, C.M.C.; Funding Acquisition, C.M.C. and I.S.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data are available from public data sets as indicated in the methods section.

Funding

SEA & IMG were supported as research assistants by the Centre for Sectoral Economy Performance in the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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