River Mersey tidal power project location revealed

The preferred location for a "potentially transformational" tidal power scheme on the River Mersey has been revealed.

The proposed barrage has been a long-time ambition of Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram who said he wants to harness the power of the river.

A 1.5 mile (2.4km) stretch of the River Mersey between Bromborough in Wirral and Otterspool in Liverpool has now been identified as the preferred area for the project.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will be asked to approve the location at a meeting on 6 November. No construction work can take place until a Development Consent Order is granted and investment is in place.

A tidal power scheme has been mooted for the River Mersey since 2005 but was put on hold in 2011 when it was deemed not profitable enough in the medium term to attract investment.

A long ambition of Steve Rotheram, the plan was revived by Liverpool City Region Mayor in 2017 and in 2020 £2.5m of funding was approved for the project.

"For as long as I can remember, people have talked about harnessing the power of the River Mersey," Rotheram said.

"Identifying where the barrage could be built is a major step forward for a project that has the potential to be genuinely transformational – not just for our region, but for the country."

"At a time when events around the world can send energy prices soaring, we need to make better use of the resources we have on our own doorstep.

"We should be generating more of our own energy, strengthening our energy security and creating good jobs here at home."

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