HND CONSTRUCTION Construction of Environmental Bridge

LOCATION Strangford Lough a large sea lough in Co Down Connection from the Ards peninsula to Strangford is the served by a Ferry crossing. Provision of a bridge has been impracticable due to construction costs. Creation of a bridge over the Strangford Lough would be a catalyst for economic regeneration Our remit was to examine the options of designing a bridge that would benefit the whole Northern Ireland economy and hence increase the viability of the proposed bridge. m1!1e3

Toll Bridge Our proposal was the construction of an environmental Toll bridge. The bridge will act as a gateway to Ards peninsula and create an east coast corridor. It will be a great economic boost for the area, creating construction jobs in the short term and long term management employment. In many ways the country is at beginning the second industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution was driven by the availability of energy. However the type of energy have to be transformed.

Tidal Energy Tidal energy is clean renewable green energy and does not use any fossil fuels. Tidal currents are predictable, unlike wind, the sustainable energy produced can be planned and delivered as required. Tidal Energy installations should have tidal range of more than 7 m. Strangford Lough has a tidal range of 13 m which makes it extremely suitable for tidal energy production. Tidal range will generate velocities of 4m/s which provides excellent power generation

Toll Bridge with tidal fence Toll bridge into a tidal fence. A tidal fence is where turbines are stretched across the lough encased in a caisson and which resemble underwater wind turbines. Tidal fence have all the electrical equipment kept high above the water. The pattern of the tides is preserved so that the impact on species living in the lough is minimal. Buffer zones are incorporated into the structure for ensure minimum disruption to the natural environment. Habitat links in the bridge structure to prevent disturbance the marine environment.

Toll Bridge with tidal fence We plan to build 40 turbine tidal fence which will generate 50 MW (million watts) of power. The scheme will use the the Davis Turbine as the most suitable for this environment. The proposal will generate energy for 30,000 houses in Northern Ireland ce&source=lnms&tbm=

Feasibility 3P Procurement arrangement that will be centred on a private limited company to construct and operate this venture for 75 years. Discounted community holding shares for local community and local business Local, central and EU governments would be expected to be major stakeholders. However our research illustrates that similar projects have attracted international investors. This is a high return low risk venture that will attract international investment.

Conclusion Our recommendation is that there is a viable option of creating a toll bridge incorporating a tidal fence in Strangford Lough. The energy produced by this venture will have a dramatic impact on the regional economy “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures” William Shakespeare