Swansea lagoon dream back on track as major energy deal signed

A landmark agreement between Swansea Council and energy firm Batri Ltd will see the former Tir John landfill site turned into a new solar farm — a crucial first building block in a much bigger, multi-billion-pound vision.

And at the heart of it all? The long-discussed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon.

From landfill to power station

The deal will transform the Tir John site into a solar energy hub capable of generating around 3 megawatts of electricity — enough to power hundreds of homes.

But this is about far more than solar panels.

The site is set to form the foundation for a sweeping renewable energy programme across Swansea — including a tidal lagoon, floating solar installations, a high-tech battery plant, a data centre and a transport hub powered by clean energy.

Crucially, the solar farm will be privately funded — meaning no direct cost to taxpayers.

A project years in the making

This ambitious scheme has been talked about for well over a decade — and has gone through several transformations along the way.

What began life as the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon captured national attention as a pioneering renewable energy project. But after setbacks and funding challenges, the vision evolved.

At one stage, plans were reimagined as the dramatic “Dragon Energy Island” concept — complete with Dubai-style manmade islands shaped like a dragon stretching out into the bay.

More recently, the wider scheme has been known as “Blue Eden”, bringing together a mix of renewable energy, industry and innovation.

Now, even that branding appears to be quietly fading — as focus shifts firmly onto delivery rather than design names and grand concepts.

Despite the changing labels, one thing has stayed the same: the ambition to harness the power of the tides and transform Swansea’s economic future.

‘Once-in-a-generation’ opportunity

Council leader Rob Stewart says the latest deal could mark the moment the project finally becomes real.

“Our ambition is to become one of the leading renewable energy regions in Europe by creating a once-in-a-generation tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay,” he said.

“The plan for Tir John is a strategic first step to create part of the energy infrastructure that’s needed to allow the lagoon project’s tidal and land elements to proceed.

“A range of other renewable energy technologies will also be included in the overall project, helping create thousands of high-quality jobs while laying the foundations for long-term investment and sustainable growth.

“A tidal lagoon here would put the city on the world map for renewable energy and deliver clean power for decades. The momentum is building, and the vision is very much alive.”

Thousands of jobs and billions in investment

If delivered in full, the wider scheme could create thousands of skilled jobs and pump billions into the regional economy.

Alongside the lagoon itself, plans include:

• A major battery manufacturing plant
• A new data centre
• Floating solar developments
• A renewable-powered transport hub

The project is centred around Swansea Port and Fabian Way — with the Tir John solar site acting as a key early phase to unlock further development.

Stephen Hughes, chief technology officer at Batri, said the agreement signals the moment the project moves from concept to reality.

“This is an important moment because it is where the overall Swansea project starts to become real on the ground,” he said.

“Tir John will generate renewable energy from its new solar farm, but its role is bigger than that. It begins to create the energy base for the wider project — one that can support future industrial development in Swansea, including a battery facility that will create significant skilled jobs as later phases come forward.”

A vision that refuses to fade

Swansea Bay News has charted the twists and turns of the lagoon story over recent years — from renewed political backing and funding for research, to fresh designs and international investment interest.

There have been moments when the project appeared to stall.

Questions have been raised about funding, feasibility and whether tidal lagoon technology could compete with other forms of renewable energy.

But supporters have consistently argued the lagoon would be a game-changer — providing predictable, renewable electricity while creating a striking new landmark for the region.

More than just energy

If it goes ahead, the lagoon won’t just be an infrastructure project.

Plans suggest it could become a major visitor attraction — with public spaces, leisure opportunities and a focus on marine ecology and climate innovation.

In short, it’s being pitched not just as a power station, but as a destination.

What happens next?

With planning already in place for the first phase of the solar farm, work could now begin to gather pace.

Further announcements are expected as additional parts of the project move forward — with momentum once again building behind one of Wales’ most ambitious renewable energy proposals.

After years of false starts, rebrands and big promises, Swansea’s tidal lagoon dream may finally be edging closer to reality.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

£1.7bn ‘Blue Eden’ tidal lagoon plan unveiled for Swansea
Earlier plans set out the scale of ambition behind the lagoon project and wider renewable energy vision.

Battery factory plans to power Swansea’s green energy future
Proposals for a major battery plant form a key part of the wider scheme now moving forward.

Land deal boosts renewable energy plans at Swansea Port
Previous agreement seen as a crucial step in unlocking development around the port and Fabian Way.

New images reveal £6.5bn Swansea Port transformation
Visuals showed how the lagoon and wider developments could reshape Swansea Bay.

£750,000 boost for tidal lagoon research
Welsh Government backing highlighted ongoing support for tidal energy in Swansea.

Nuclear investment announcement a ‘missed opportunity’ for Welsh tidal power

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have said that today’s announcement by the UK Government on investing £14.2 billion in the Sizewell C Nuclear Plant in Suffolk is a massive, missed opportunity for both Wales and the UK’s efforts to tackle climate change.

The party say that while Sizewell C is a huge project, capable of powering 6 million homes, not one of those homes will be in Wales — and not one job from the development will benefit Welsh communities.

The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds MS, has written to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to call on the UK Government to urgently start investing in Welsh Tidal Lagoon projects, such as the one in Swansea Bay.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say that if the Government had chosen to invest in Welsh Tidal Lagoon projects thousands of high skilled, well-paid jobs would be created in Wales giving a much-needed boost to our coastal economies whilst helping the UK to meet its climate goals.

Commenting she said: “Once again we’re seeing this Labour government putting other parts of the UK first.

“Just imagine how transformational it would have been to the Welsh economy if the UK Government had chosen to invest in Welsh Tidal Lagoon projects rather than more nuclear power stations.

“For generations we exported energy to the world and the Welsh Liberal Democrats want to see us do it again through renewable sources such as tidal.

“Both the UK Labour Government and Welsh Labour Government need to be more ambitious for Wales’ future and think about how a failure to invest in Wales today is damaging our economic prospects for generations to come.”

An independent commission of experts have recommended in March that the government “act now” to harness the UK’s huge potential for tidal range energy in the Severn Estuary. 

The report prompted backers of the cancelled Swansea Bay tidal lagoon to call for the UK and Welsh Governments to “get on with building” a lagoon in Swansea as well.

#NuclearPower #TidalLagoon #TidalPower #UKGovernment #WelshLiberalDemocrats

Calls to ‘get on with building the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon’

An independent commission of experts have recommended that the government “act now” to harness the UK’s huge potential for tidal range energy in the Severn Estuary. 

The report has prompted backers of the cancelled Swansea Bay tidal lagoon to call for the UK and Welsh Governments to “get on with building” a lagoon in Swansea as well.

Private sector organisation, DST Group released new conceptual images in May 2024 showing elements of a £6.25bn renewable energy scheme in Swansea that’s set to include a tidal lagoon. There has not been any further progress on the lagoon element of the plans since however.

It was the latest in a long line of artist’s impressions released by DST since 2020, which have included a Dubai-style artificial energy island in Swansea Bay.

A tidal lagoon in Swansea was cancelled by the Conservative Government in 2018 citing poor value for money.

The Severn Estuary Commission meanwhile has spent the last year engaging with more than 500 individuals and over 200 local and national organisations to explore if it is now possible to harness the power of the UK’s largest tidal range following the decades of proposals.   

The commission has concluded that tidal range energy in the Severn Estuary is “feasible” and could deliver predictable, renewable electricity that will work independent of weather conditions. With UK electricity demand set to more than double by 2050, they have called for urgent investment to make sure this kind of energy can play a part in the future energy system in a way which is sustainable. 

The UK’s National Energy System Operator already predicts that tidal energy will need to play a part in any future energy system.  The Severn Estuary has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world and could provide the vast majority of the UK’s total tidal energy. However, it also remains of international environmental importance.  

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, at the Welsh Government, Rebecca Evans MS said: “We want to make Wales a world centre for emerging tidal technologies, and the Severn Estuary is a source of immense potential energy as one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. I welcome the work of the Severn Estuary Commission and I look forward to working with the UK Government and the Western Gateway to make sure that we can harness its potential whilst also protecting this unique asset.” 

Responding to the report, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “We have a ready-made plan to harness the tidal energy of the Severn already and have done so for years.

“It was a huge mistake by the Conservatives to cancel the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and this new Labour Government should rectify that mistake by reviving the project and simply getting on with it.

“Tidal power offers huge advantages to Wales, not only in generating electricity but in its potential to create well-paid jobs. The UK Government seems perfectly happy to spend large amounts on infrastructure in the South East of England, its time they made some investments in Wales.”

In a December session of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, Jay Sheppard, Project Manager at Marine Energy Wales said: “Historically, we have seen tidal stream projects delivered with anywhere between 80% and 100% UK content, compared with about 20% for wind. That means that, on average, we will see four to five times the level of socioeconomic benefits per pound spent on tidal compared with wind.”

Swansea Council leader, Cllr Rob Stewart said he remained committed to bringing a tidal lagoon to the city.

Cllr Rob Stewart said: “We welcome this report which underlines why we remain committed to supporting efforts to create a Tidal Lagoon in Swansea Bay. 

“Following the cancellation of the original project by the Tory UK Government, we commenced a process to invite the private sector to bring toward proposals for a Swansea lagoon

“Since then, DST have been working with their consortium partners to bring forward a £6.25bn integrated energy project based around a lagoon, which won’t require subsidies from the Uk taxpayer. We have been busy behind the scenes supporting this work

“The new UK Labour Government have included tidal energy in the UK’s future energy mix, and we will continue to engage with Welsh and UK governments to support efforts to bring this scheme forward”

Read more Swansea news.

(Lead image: DST)

#energy #featured #Swansea #TidalLagoon #TidalPower