Hinkley Point C's £700m 'Fish Disco' Could Save 90% of Marine Life
Scientists have discovered that a groundbreaking £700 million underwater acoustic project, colloquially dubbed a 'fish disco', could prevent up to 90% of fish from being drawn into the water intake pipes at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. This innovative solution, commissioned by EDF Energy, is projected to safeguard approximately 44 tonnes of fish each year, equivalent to the annual haul of a small commercial fishing vessel.
Revolutionary Acoustic Deterrent System
EDF Energy, the developer behind the £46 billion Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, has revealed that research conducted by Swansea University scientists demonstrates the effectiveness of this acoustic deterrent system. The setup employs more than 300 submerged speakers to emit sound pulses, effectively repelling migratory fish from the intake pipes that will channel water from the River Severn to cool the plant's nuclear reactors.
The findings indicate that when the speakers are activated, only one tagged twaite shad fish approached within 30 metres of the test intake pipes, compared to 14 observed in the same vicinity without the system operational. Dr David Clarke, a fisheries scientist and marine ecologist at Swansea University, remarked, "These early results are very encouraging with the system clearly working. Our results show that a large majority of the tagged shad avoid an area extending some 60 metres from the intake heads protected by the acoustic fish deterrent system."
Cost and Environmental Implications
The £700 million investment represents about 1.5% of the total construction cost for Hinkley Point C, which is set to become Britain's first new nuclear power plant in a generation. EDF Energy asserts that this expenditure will afford the facility "more fish protection than any other power station in the world". Under the terms of EDF's subsidy contract, the company will absorb these additional costs rather than passing them on to consumers through household energy bills.
Chris Fayers, head of environment at Hinkley Point C, highlighted the system's superior performance, stating, "Because the system works even better than we had hoped, it means we can meet all of our planning obligations and should not need to create 900 acres of salt marsh as environmental compensation. And it's good news for a power station that will generate the reliable, low carbon electricity that the country needs."
Additional Protective Measures
Beyond the acoustic deterrent, the comprehensive fish protection strategy includes specially designed mouths fitted to the intake pipes to decelerate water suction, enabling fish to escape from as close as two metres away. A fish recovery system will also be implemented to return any marine life that does enter the pipes back to the river.
In a positive development for salmon populations, the research further revealed that salmon migrating to the Atlantic typically utilise the main channel of the River Severn, which remains a safe distance from Hinkley Point C's intake infrastructure. Over a two-year period, only two tagged salmon were detected within one kilometre of the intakes.
Regulatory Pathway and Future Steps
The results of this pioneering study are scheduled for submission to the Marine Management Organisation later this year for regulatory review and approval. This step is crucial for ensuring that the acoustic deterrent system meets all environmental standards and planning requirements, paving the way for its full implementation as part of Hinkley Point C's operational framework.
This initiative marks a significant advancement in balancing large-scale energy infrastructure with marine conservation efforts, setting a new benchmark for environmental stewardship in the nuclear power industry.
