European Parliamentary Labour Party: : Barrage key role in EU fight against climate change say MEPs

The European Commission this week announced its ‘green strategy' to reduce the EU's carbon emissions. Under the plans, the UK must ensure, that by 2020, 15% of its energy needs are met from renewable sources.

ELUNED MORGAN said:

"The EU's green strategy has set the UK the bold and ambitious task of raising its renewable electricity production five-fold.

"If we are serious about tackling climate change and ensuring secure, clean and affordable energy, then we must be serious about meeting that target. The Severn Barrage, provided it conforms with EU environmental law, could make a major contribution by providing up to 5% of the UK's electricity needs in a clean and safe way.

GLYN FORD added:

"I have supported the Severn Barrage project for many years, as it has the potential energy output of up to 4 nuclear power stations."

"Or course I take the environmental impact very seriously, and therefore this report goes some way to addressing such serious concerns. But it's clear that we need to take radical steps to fight climate change and that the Severn Barrage has a key role to play in this fight. We have to bear in mind the cost of not building the Barrage."

Notes:

The UK Government this week announced a 2-year feasibility study into the Severn Barrage.
Under the EU's green strategy, unveiled on Wednesday, the UK must ensure 15% of all its energy needs come from renewable sources by 2020.
The Severn Estuary has the second highest tidal range in the world, with spring tides of 14 metres or 42 feet.
A Severn barrage between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare could have a capacity of 8600 Mega Watts and an estimated output of 17 Tera Watt Hours a year -providing around 5% of current UK electricity demand.
A Cardiff-Weston Barrage would be one of the largest civil engineering projects in the world and by far the largest single renewable energy generation scheme in the UK. It would involve building a 10 mile long barrage across the Severn Estuary
The estimated cost of Cardiff-Weston is £15 billion, and from any decisions to take it forward could take as long as 12 years to build and commission.

Ends.

For more information please call the European Parliamentary Labour Party press officer, Silke Thomson on +44 207 222 1719 or +32 479 790 053.


Home Labour MEPs EPLP Spokespeople Michael Cashman MEP Richard Corbett MEP Robert Evans MEP Glyn Ford MEP Neena Gill MEP Mary Honeyball MEP Richard Howitt MEP Stephen Hughes MEP Glenys Kinnock MEP David Martin MEP Linda McAvan MEP Arlene McCarthy MEP Claude Moraes MEP Eluned Morgan MEP Brian Simpson MEP Peter Skinner MEP Catherine Stihler MEP Gary Titley MEP Glenis Willmott MEP What does an MEP do? Current Issues Myths & Lies Publications News Subscribe Get the latest news by email Get news via an RSS feed » More info		Printer friendly version Barrage "key role" in EU fight against climate change, say MEPs 25 January 2008, 3:40pm A barrage across the Severn is an important element to achieving the EU's ambitious plan to tackle climate change, say Wales MEP Eluned Morgan and South West MEP Glyn Ford. The European Commission this week announced its ‘green strategy' to reduce the EU's carbon emissions. Under the plans, the UK must ensure, that by 2020, 15% of its energy needs are met from renewable sources. ELUNED MORGAN said: "The EU's green strategy has set the UK the bold and ambitious task of raising its renewable electricity production five-fold. "If we are serious about tackling climate change and ensuring secure, clean and affordable energy, then we must be serious about meeting that target. The Severn Barrage, provided it conforms with EU environmental law, could make a major contribution by providing up to 5% of the UK's electricity needs in a clean and safe way. GLYN FORD added: "I have supported the Severn Barrage project for many years, as it has the potential energy output of up to 4 nuclear power stations." "Or course I take the environmental impact very seriously, and therefore this report goes some way to addressing such serious concerns. But it's clear that we need to take radical steps to fight climate change and that the Severn Barrage has a key role to play in this fight. We have to bear in mind the cost of not building the Barrage." Notes: The UK Government this week announced a 2-year feasibility study into the Severn Barrage. Under the EU's green strategy, unveiled on Wednesday, the UK must ensure 15% of all its energy needs come from renewable sources by 2020. The Severn Estuary has the second highest tidal range in the world, with spring tides of 14 metres or 42 feet. A Severn barrage between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare could have a capacity of 8600 Mega Watts and an estimated output of 17 Tera Watt Hours a year -providing around 5% of current UK electricity demand. A Cardiff-Weston Barrage would be one of the largest civil engineering projects in the world and by far the largest single renewable energy generation scheme in the UK. It would involve building a 10 mile long barrage across the Severn Estuary The estimated cost of Cardiff-Weston is £15 billion, and from any decisions to take it forward could take as long as 12 years to build and commission. Ends. For more information please call the European Parliamentary Labour Party press officer, Silke Thomson on +44 207 222 1719 or +32 479 790 053.

Barrage "key role" in EU fight against climate change, say MEPs