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Thread: Mersey Barrage

  1. #16
    Steven
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    From Walton to the Dingle,
    You can hear the people cry,
    stop messin' around with Liverpool.

    At least until I die!


    Jackie and Bridie and 3+1.

  2. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post
    This document has the barrage at Dingle - a 1992 proposal. New Brighton is the obvious place as the whole river will be locked in. That is then a lot of energy stored and ships can be berthed on river walls as the water level will be reasonably constant.
    I have to admit that a barrage that is placed South of the Gladstone Docks River entrance but North of the Langton Dock River entrance seems to have a lot going for it in terms of volume of water captured. That would give the dock system a lot of flexibility. Ships could avoid the barrage by going through the docks if need be. Also, that location would not interfere with operations at Seaforth, including the coming post-Panamax facility.

    It also creates an ability to deal with extreme storm surges in the likely event that the world's weather becomes more unstable and sea levels rise.

    Presumably, in such a design, huge lock gates could be left wide open a half-hour hour or so each side of slack water, for large tankers and other ships to sail through on the tide and without stopping. I guess the Liverpool Pilotage service can look forward to a secure future!

    Has anyone proposed placing the barrage from New Brighton to the Alexandra Dock vicinity that we are aware of?

    It would be truly wonderful if, instead of becoming another vehicular river crossing, the barrage walls were extensively developed for leisure uses. Gosh, commercial features reminiscent of the old New Brighton promenade pier could be incorporated into the barrage structure and tourist-oriented ferry service provided. There are all manner of leisure and pleasure oriented possibilities that would sway Merseysiders to support the project. Fishing for the anglers, theatre, funfair, a place to ride Segways, cinema, a few very special hotel rooms, yacht berths, casual vendors, even motor-boat rides, Punch and Judy shows and deckchairs on fine days - all sorts of things to get people excited and supportive.
    Last edited by HollyBlack; 10-10-2007 at 02:01 AM.

  3. #18

    Default Liverpool Bay Tidal Lagoon

    http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nort...5578-20345622/
    Quote Originally Posted by Jan 14 2008 by David Powell, Daily Post http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/01/14/tide-power-alternative-to-turbines-55578-20345622/[/URL
    ]http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/01/14/tide-power-alternative-to-turbines-55578-20345622/
    WESTMINSTER and the Welsh Assembly are being urged to consider a “tidal lagoon” as an alternative to plans for 260 wind turbines off the coasts of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay.
    Conwy councillor Phil Edwards has written to both governments following a presentation to members by Rhos on Sea company Clwyd Offshore Tidal Energy.
    He is calling on both to investigate the feasibility of harnessing tidal energy before making a decision on whether to grant a licence for the wind turbines project.
    Coun Edwards told a meeting of Plaid Councillors at Llandudno on Friday: “It does not rely on whether there is any wind blowing, but gets its power from the tides coming in and out twice a day.” He said it would have environmental benefits.
    He added: “The tidal lagoon project would have the added benefit of not having the visual impact on our seascape, it would not require the import and transportation of large amounts of rock and concrete and it could possibly help towards protecting our coast from erosion.”
    Councillor Edwards urged ministers to look at the alternative scheme before making a decision on Gwynt Y Mor.
    “It has potential to be a world leader in renewable energy, could provide many benefits including much needed well paid jobs for local people,” he said.
    “It could be the most exciting project we have ever seen.”
    It seems that whereas South Wales is shy about being the guinea pig for the first offshore tidal lagoon in the world, North Wales is keen to get on with it.

    Tidal lagoons (imagine a huge circular dam built on the seabed offshore) have a lot going for them as compared with barrages once you get over the gut reaction against. And there are only two excellent places for tidal lagoons in the world other than in Canada - they are the Severn Estuary and the Eastern half of the Irish Sea (North Wales, Liverpool Bay, Lancashire Coast) - because of the presences of big tidal ranges combined with shallow seabed.

    It seems the major worry about tidal lagoons is whether the rubble walls proposed to be constructed will stand up to storms in the long run. That's why they want a "pilot" project - first in the world! Well I have news for them, the Crosby Channel Revetment has stood up to Winter storms for 50 to 100 years (it took 60 years to build, on and off). Mind you it is built of large limestone blocks mostly, not "rubble".

    So here's an idea - use the Revetment as one wall of a Tidal Lagoon. You could build a one mile railway viaduct from Red Noses to the end of existing Revetment which is about three quarters of a mile across the Crosby Channel from the old Seaforth Radar Tower. Then you can use the railway to bring in stone to reinforce the Revetment. Keep going for its entire length (about six+ miles) and then keep building more length and circling back until you have a lagoon of about 30 square miles of area! Because of the excellent tides in Liverpool Bay that would produce in the region of 500 to 1000MW of hydroelectricity - as much as a large modern nuclear power station. But the kicker is that its service life would be hundreds of years, not 40 or so.

    Oh, and by the way, you can plant wind turbines on the lagoon walls for ease of maintenance too. Actually there's all sorts of other stuff you can build on the sea walls, and reuse for the construction railway too.
    Last edited by HollyBlack; 02-02-2008 at 01:28 AM.

  4. #19
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Daily Post

    Mersey Tidal Power

    Liverpool's Mersey tidal power moves step closer with key study
    Mar 4 2010
    by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

    FOUR ways of using the River Mersey to power the region’s homes have been selected.

    A feasibility study is currently looking at how to deliver the maximum affordable energy from the tidal resources in the Mersey estuary.

    And four technologies have been shortlisted as part of the Mersey Tidal Power project.

    The first two involve building barrages and using turbines to generate power – one with smaller turbines than the other.

    The other two involve building tidal fences.

    The first fence would have turbines designed for generating electricity in open streams.

    The second fence is based on a new device that concentrates the energy of slow-moving water into a smaller area of faster-flowing water using the so-called Venturi effect. Anthony Hatton, of development director of Peel Energy, which is leading the project, said: “This initial selection of technically suitable options represents a major step in the process to select a viable tidal power scheme for the Mersey Estuary.”

    He said it was hoped that an acceptable scheme could be developed in order to submit a planning application by the end of 2011.

    “There is a long way to go but our goal is to have a tidal power scheme generating electricity from the Mersey in time to contribute to the national target of generating 15% of the UK’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2020,” he added.

    The Mersey estuary has one of the largest tidal ranges in the country, and previous studies have shown that a large scheme could generate enough renewable energy to supply a significant proportion of homes in the region.

    The next stage of the feasibility study will examine possible sites in the estuary where the different technologies could best be used.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
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    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


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  5. #20
    Senior Member az_gila's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post
    ......A Mersey barrage can also act as a barrier to stop surge tides from flooding low lying land around the Mersey estuary. The Mersey estuary does have a flood risk to it, although nothing like London and the Thames. ....
    Have there been any recent (one or two generations) flooding from the mersey that seriously affected Liverpool?

    Or has it all been storm damage at high tides?

  6. #21
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    The Pier Head on a few occasions has been flooded. The canal would keep the water from going inland.

    The Docks themselves could acts a barrier, but they need to be deepened in some cases because they have filled them to canal boat depths. The gates need to centrally controlled. Allow the water out at low tides expecting water to lip over in very high tides into largely empty basins. A real high tide and storm surges may only keep it back for a short while.

    Any river barrage also needs a barrage at Bidston to prevent water entering the river via Birkenhead Docks coming in from Moreton/Liverpool Bay. There is a railway embankment there which needs strengthening, so it double up its function.

    There has been flooding at Crosby.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


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    Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK

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  7. #22
    Senior Member az_gila's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post
    The Pier Head on a few occasions has been flooded. ..... .
    Was it truly flooded with the water level that high, or was it a storm surge at high tide?

  8. #23
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by az_gila View Post
    Was it truly flooded with the water level that high, or was it a storm surge at high tide?
    A bit of both. If these three events converge there will be serious flooding:
    1. Heavy rains and water filling the river from the land
    2. High Spring Tide
    3. Storms surges coming in from the west




    These three events occurred in the southern North Sea in 1953.The water moved onto the land with serious flooding in the UK, Belgium and Holland. 1000s died. What saved London was that a dyke in Essex collapsed and water destined for London moved over Essex. The water was lipping over the Embankment in London. London will flood - not a matter of if, but when.

    At the highest Spring tides if there is a storm surge water will move up the River Mersey and flooding will occur.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


    Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
    Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK

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