From the London Eye to tidal power: Thames landmark architects turn their attention to massive green power station

It’s no secret that the UK goes through a lot of energy – just to power the number of cups of tea we get through (or, at least make if not get round to actually drinking), let alone our new surging use of AI. To address the increasing need for more energy (you and me both, England), plans have been proposed for a brand new tidal power station – and they’ve recruited the top dogs to plan it out. The very team behind one of London’s most eye-conic landmarks…

Suggested as the West Somerset Lagoon, the infrastructure would be a new renewable (and reliable) energy source, constructed as a semi-circular lagoon stretching between Minehead and Watchet.

To hit its energy targets, the site would be complete with a proposed 125 turbines that would generate enough energy to power 2 million UK homes (on average). Thanks to its funnel shape, the Bristol Channel - the proposed site for the lagoon - experiences the largest tidal range in the UK, and the second largest in the whole world, being pipped by Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

Architects over at Marks Barfield are the design-brains behind the Lagoon, aiming to utilise the high tides to produce clean, renewable energy by incorporating turbines, wind turbines, and floating solar power alongside transport links, ferry and paddle steamer terminals, and a marina, amongst other amenities. Some of the amenities proposed are part of a plan for the Lagoon to be a public space, with features like a lido, a visitor’s centre, shops, restaurants, an oyster farm, and an observation tower.

As with almost everything these days, the building plans definitely don’t come cheap, with an expected £11 billion stated for the project’s development. That’s a fair step up from The London Eye, which cost reportedly £75 million – although that was in 2000, so given the inflation rate, it’s probably around the same cost now… Despite the cost, the team behind it believe it would be a long-term investment which would ultimately create a cheaper power source in the long-run. Whilst there hasn’t been any word from politicians on the plans either way, if it *does* get approved, the project could be up and running by 2037 and fully operational by 2038 – although anyone who has watched Grand Designs knows that means 2040 at least...

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