nuclear-news

Hinkley Point C proposes new wetland reserve to protect fish from cooling system

Pippa Neill,  https://www.endsreport.com/article/1856616/hinkley-point-c-proposes-new-wetland-reserve-protect-fish-cooling-system. 05 Jan 2024

The developers of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station are asking the public for views on plans to create more than 320 hectares of saltmarsh habitat on the river Parrett in Somerset, which it says will act as a natural alternative to installing an acoustic fish deterrent.

Under a previous proposal, French energy firm EDF Energy was planning to install an acoustic fish deterrent (AFD) system to keep some fish species away from the power station’s cooling water system. 

This system would have used 280 speakers to make noise louder than a jumbo jet, 24 hours a day for 60 years. However EDF said there were “significant issues” associated with the installation, namely that installing and maintaining the sound projectors underwater would present risks to divers and offshore works. 

In August last year, the Environment Agency approved an amendment to the permit allowing the firm to remove this AFD system from the plans. 

Campaigners have warned that the removal of the AFD could “decimate” fish stocks. A report published in 2021 by the Hinkley Point C stakeholder reference group, an expert panel which advises the Welsh government on the development of the new power station, estimated that without AFDs, 182 million fish would be caught by the system annually, “and it is likely that many of these will not survive”.

The firm has said that the proposed saltmarsh will help wildlife and the environment around the Severn estuary by providing breeding grounds for fish and providing food and shelter for birds and animals. The plans are being developed with Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and the Environment Agency. 

It also said that Hinkley Point C is “still the first power station in the area to have any fish protection measures in place – including a fish recovery and return system and low velocity water intakes. Power stations have been taking cooling water from the Bristol Channel for decades with no significant impact on fish populations”. 

In March, the Environment Agency issued three new permits linked to the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk, despite concerns that the approved cooling system and lack of fish deterrent device could result in “thousands of fish dying every day”.

Chris Fayers, head of environment at Hinkley Point C, said: “The new wetland would be a fantastic place for wildlife and a beautiful place to visit. Using natural and proven ways to improve the environment is better than creating 60 years of noise pollution with a system that is untested far offshore in the fast-flowing waters of the Severn. 

“Hinkley Point C is one of Britain’s biggest acts in the fight against climate change and its operation will provide significant benefits for the environment”.

The proposals for habitat creation and other changes to Hinkley Point C’s design, such as alterations to the way the power station will store spent fuel, will be included in a public consultation launching on 9 January.

January 9, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, UK