Centre Port Holdings, a UK-based marine and renewable energy infrastructure developer, led by James Sutcliffe, has announced the first stages of development of a major tidal energy scheme on the east coast of England that incorporates the world’s first tidal powered deepsea container terminal as well as providing landside flood defences for up to a million people.
The proposed zero carbon deep-sea automated container terminal would be capable of processing between 1.5m and 4m teu annually. The terminal would have a rail facility linking into the Skegness – Birmingham rail line to carry up to 40% of the container traffic.
The proposal includes the construction of a hydro-electric structure within the project which will capture the incoming and out-going tides twice a day, providing entirely predictable energy for the terminal and up to 600,000 homes and businesses in the region.
Centre Port Holdings has agreed a strategic partnership with utility firm Centrica, which has invested into the seed round allowing Centre Port to engage environmental and technical consultancies to begin work on a feasibility study.
Centrica would provide a guaranteed price for the renewable energy produced by the tidal turbines to underpin their construction. It is anticipated some of the off peak renewable energy produced could be used to create green hydrogen to help decarbonise the farming and transport sectors.
The structure will act as a flood defence scheme against exceptional tides resulting from climate change, which would otherwise damage sensitive habitats and wildlife in The Wash estuary. The turbine sluice gates built within the structure would protect vital farmland, homes and industry against landside flooding and tidal surges across Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire which generates a third of the UK’s vegetable production.
James Sutcliffe, CEO at Centre Port Holdings, said: “The local environment is seriously at risk from climate change. Our Mission is to retain the Wash boundaries, its wildlife and ecology and to minimise climate change impacts that could devastate these sensitive areas.”
