GE-Andritz preferred bidder for Swansea tidal lagoon contract

A team composed by General Electric (GE) and Andritz Hydro has been selected as the preferred bidder for supplying electromechanical equipment for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, the world-leading tidal power station development.

The contract includes the supply of 16 bidirectional tidal 20 MW turbine-generators. The turbines will be based on Andritz Hydro technology and GE will manufacture the generators. The two firms have agreed to manufacture the majority of the large turbine components and the generators in UK, and they will also operate a dockside turbine assembly plant in Wales.

The project will generate 500 GWh of electricity every year for 120 years, enough to provide nearly all of the domestic electricity for the Swansea Bay region, comprising the city and county of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. It will help the UK meet its carbon reduction targets by saving more than 236,000 tonnes of CO2 each year; and establishes a scalable blueprint for a total of six UK lagoons that could between them provide 8% of the UK’s electricity, also for 120 years.

The tidal power station is scheduled to reach financial close in the summer 2015 with construction scheduled to begin immediately after. The project is expected to be operational by 2019.

Two weeks ago we reported that InfraRed had agreed to invest in the £1 billion (US$1.52 billion) Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. At that time Werner von Guionneau, Chief Executive of InfraRed Capital Partners, stated:

“We are proud to be playing a key role in securing the future of this world-leading renewable energy project. The power station is unique in that it not only leverages the estuary’s second highest tidal range in the world but it will also make a material contribution towards both the local economy in South Wales and the long term stability of sustainable energy supply in the UK.”