"The architect of the London Eye wants to build a vast tidal power station in a 14-mile arc off the coast of Somerset that could help Britain meet surging electricity demand to power artificial intelligence and create a new race track to let cyclists skim over the Bristol Channel. Julia Barfield, who designed the Eye and the i360 observation tower in Brighton, is part of a team that has drawn up the 11bn proposal."
"The proposal comes amid growing concern that rapidly rising use of AI in Britain will drive up carbon emissions unless more renewable energy sources are found. The AI boom is expected to add to sharp increases in demand for electricity across the UK, which the government estimated this month could more than double by 2050."
"Datacentres could double energy demand and this is a predictable and reliable source. The barrage would not cross the full breadth of the channel but would instead curve to and from the Somerset coast with a 2.5GW maximum output not far short of the peak energy that will be created by the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station just 12 miles east."
Julia Barfield and a team propose an 11bn tidal power station forming a 14-mile semi-circular barrage from Minehead to Watchet off Somerset. The scheme would deploy 125 underwater turbines to harness the second-highest tidal range, producing up to 2.5GW — enough for roughly two million homes and comparable to Hinkley Point C peak output. The plan includes a top path for walkers and cyclists, a marina, a lido and an observation tower, and suggests housing datacentres within the structure to serve growing AI-driven electricity demand. The proposal aims to provide predictable renewable power to offset rising emissions from expanding AI and datacentre use.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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