United Kingdom – An multinational consortium has launched a £1.7 billion project that will create thousands of jobs and position Wales at the forefront of renewable energy innovation.
Swansea’s waterfront will be transformed by a groundbreaking project that includes a state-of-the-art tidal lagoon with underwater turbines that will generate 320 megawatts of renewable energy from the 9.5 kilometre construction.
In addition to the lagoon, Bridgend-based DST Innovations and a variety of commercial partners are working on the Blue Eden project, which has the support of Swansea Council and Associated British Ports.
Blue Eden, an innovative and economic-boosting project made feasible by private sector finance, will be implemented in three stages over a period of 12 years.
World’s largest facility
60,000 square meters of manufacturing space will be dedicated to the production of high-tech batteries for renewable energy storage, and another 60,000 square meters will be devoted to a battery facility that will store and power the renewable energy generated at Blue Eden. It would be the world’s largest facility of its sort if it were built today.
On the Queen’s dock area, a 72,000-square-meter floating solar array will help reduce CO2 emissions by almost 2 million kg annually. Largest facility in the UK, with room for further expansion.
It is planned to build a 94,000-square-meter data center as part of the project to store, process, and provide network capabilities for the key services required in current day operations. This would be the first facility of its sort in the UK to be powered entirely by a renewable energy supply that cannot be interrupted.
Also included in this ambitious plan are a world-class ocean and climate change research facility and a series of floating dome structures that will serve as cultural and scientific hotspots.
There will also be residential waterfront residences for 5,000 people, as well as 150 eco-homes that float on the water and use very little energy.
Swansea’s SA1 neighborhood will be home to Blue Eden, which will occupy a large area of land and water to the south of the Prince of Wales Dock. There will be no new construction on the project’s site, and all of the current land will be used and improved upon, including the eco-homes.
Job creation
During its completion, Blue Eden will produce an extra 2,500 permanent jobs and support 16,000 jobs across Wales and the United Kingdom.
The entire Blue Eden complex will be powered by on-site renewable energy, including companies and a mix of low- and moderate-income housing, as well as premium apartment buildings. A 20-year renewable energy and heat supply will be included in the sale of each property as a result of the innovation that took place on-site.
A regional task team, led by Swansea Council, put out a vision for the project, and it was developed as a result of discussions.
Blue Eden construction at the site might begin as early as 2023 if all goes according to plan.
