Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram’s £6bn plan to build a power-generating barrage across the Mersey could threaten shipping and investment, leaders of some of Liverpool city region’s biggest maritime businesses claim. Tony McDonough reports
A number of Liverpool city region’s biggest maritime sector businesses claim Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Mersey Tidal Power project could be a threat to shipping and investment.
Mr Rotheram is pressing the Government to fund his £6bn plan to generate carbon-free electricity using the power of the Mersey Estuary tides. He claims the 1GW hydro-electric barrage across the Mersey could provide clean power for more than 100 years.
However, while leaders of Liverpool city region’s £5bn powerhouse maritime sector are broadly supportive of the Mersey Tidal Power project, LBN has been told a number of the bigger players, such as Peel Ports and Cammell Laird, are unhappy at the preferred location.
They say they have attempted to discuss their concerns with Mr Rotheram and the Combined Authority but, in a letter to the Mayor in early April signed by nine businesses, they said they were “extremely disappointed” their views were “not being acknowledged”.
While a final decision on where the barrage would be placed has yet to be made, LBN understands the preferred choice is close to Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on the Liverpool side across to the Egremont district of Wallasey in Wirral.
This structure would include a pedestrian and cycleway linking the two sides of the river. It will also include lock gates to allow shipping to pass in and out of the river and this is where the maritime sector has “major concerns”.
Significant delays
There are around 15,000 shipping movements in and out of the estuary each year with both commercial and passenger vessels operating 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It is feared the locks would cause significant delays to vessels.
Not only would that be a threat to current operations but could also pose a threat to future investment, business leaders claim. One industry insider told LBN: “This could lead to us losing future investment and jobs, something the Mayor says he wants to support.”
Signatories to the letter sent to Mr Rotheram include Port of Liverpool owner Peel Ports, Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird, Peel Ports Logistics, Stena Line, Isle of Man Steam Packet, UM Terminals, Exolum, NW Trading (Logistics) and Finsa UK.
Wood-based panels specialist Finsa UK is an example of a current inward investment. It is to locate its new 340,000 sq ft UK headquarters in Birkenhead Docks. Construction is currently under way on the project.
LBN has contacted all the signatories to give them an opportunity to comment.
A Combined Authority spokesperson said: “Mersey Tidal Power is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to harness the power of the River Mersey to deliver clean, predictable energy and create thousands of skilled jobs across our region.
“This would be the largest tidal power project of its kind anywhere in the world – a nationally significant piece of infrastructure that would generate reliable, renewable energy for generations to come.
“It’s a bold statement of intent from the Liverpool city region: leading from the front on climate action, driving good green growth, and helping the UK strengthen its long-term energy security.
“We know the river is a vital part of our economy – not just for trade, but for tourism and recreation too – and we’re working closely with partners across the maritime sector to make sure those interests are safeguarded.
“The Mayor and Combined Authority have always been clear: this project will only move forward if it can be delivered in a way that works for the whole region.
“Public support has been overwhelmingly positive. Our first phase of consultation engaged over 300,000 households, with more than 3,000 responses and 84% backing the proposals.
“That backing reflects the scale of local ambition and the appetite for major infrastructure that delivers lasting benefit – locally, nationally, and globally.
“The Mayor’s door is – and always has been – open. He remains committed to ongoing dialogue with all those who have a stake in the river’s future, and welcomes constructive conversations that help shape the next stage of this landmark project.”
Power of the tides
At between four and 10 metres, the Mersey Estuary has the second-highest tidal range (the difference between the lowest and the highest tides) in the UK. It is second only to the River Severn, making it ideal for a tidal power scheme.
Water from the high tides would be released through turbines as the tide falls, generating power. It would have a capacity of up to 1GW. Currently the UK’s entire power generating capacity totals around 75GW.
Signatories to the letter stress they are not against the barrage in principle but believe it would be far less disruptive to shipping if it were built further upriver.
If the barrage were to be located close to Bramley-Moore, shipping in and out of the main port of Liverpool, and the Liverpool2 container terminal, would be largely unaffected as they would be down-river of the structure.
However, there remains a huge volume of vessel movements beyond this point. More than 100 cruise ships, along with other vessels, utilise Liverpool cruise terminal close to the Pier Head each year.
Next to the cruise terminal is the recently completed Isle of Man ferry terminal which, during the peak summer months, can handle multiple berthings a day. Across the river there is Birkenhead’s dock system which sees numerous commercial vessels coming in and out.
On the Wirral river bank, close to Woodside, is the 12 Quays terminal. This is a major Irish Sea hub for Swedish ferry operator Stena Line which can see several vessels sailing between the Mersey and Belfast and Dublin in a single day.
Further up the river on the Wirral side is Cammell Laird shipyard which has ships coming in and out frequently. Next to Cammell Laird is Tranmere Oil Terminal which handles around 150 supertankers a year unloading crude oil and ammonia.
Next to Port Sunlight River Park is Bromborough Dock which handles cargo vessels on a daily basis and across the river at Garston Docks, AB Ports operates a busy commercial shipping terminal.
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At Eastham in Wirral are the lock gates to the Manchester Ship Canal and the Queen Elizabeth II dock which has recently seen the opening of a £10m terminal handling auto components coming from Spain for the Stellantis factory in Ellesmere Port.
On the ship canal itself there are several berths servicing the giant Stanlow oil refinery, the second-biggest in the country. That sees around 500 vessels a year coming in to pick up refined petroleum products.
LBN understands there is a belief at the Combined Authority that shipping traffic to and from the refinery may reduce in the coming years due to the expected sharp reduction in the use of fossil fuels.
However, Stanlow is to be the nerve centre of the multi-billion pound HyNet hydrogen project which will not only produce hydrogen but will also be a hub for the importation of hydrogen.
Manchester Ship Canal also sees cargo vessels ferrying goods from the Port of Liverpool up to Peel’s facility at Port Salford.