The Mersey Tidal Power Project is being developed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA).

The LCRCA is a local authority represented by the elected Metro Mayor and elected councillors from the councils of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral. The LCRCA is the strategic decision-making body for the Liverpool City Region.

The LCRCA committed to the development of Mersey Tidal Power in its 2022 Plan for Prosperity which sets out the LCRCA policy framework up to 2035.

The Project is also included in the LCRCA Five Year Climate Action Plan and the LCRCA Spatial Development Strategy.

We are consulting with the public to share an early idea of what the project could look like and understand any concerns or questions you have as we progress into future development stages.

The Mersey Tidal Power Project consists of the following main components:

• A tidal range barrage located within the channel of the Mersey Estuary which contains:
  • A Power Generation System with control equipment and a sub-structure housing turbines with an expected electrical output of up to 1 GW;
  • A Hydro Control System (including sluice gates);
  • A Marine Navigation System (including locks);
  • A Power Export System;
  • Onshore operational facilities including maintenance, stores and office buildings; and
  • Associated rock armour and breakwaters.
• An onward grid connection to a National Grid substation; and
• Utilisation of the surrounding port facilities during the construction phase in addition to other potential associated developments which may support the construction phase.

We are continuing to develop our understanding of our river and costal environment, what a scheme would look like, and how we can balance the benefit of a renewable marine energy scheme into the natural environment.

Following the close of this consultation, the project team will review all responses received and consider feedback provided, alongside ongoing ecology studies, engineering design, ground investigation and stakeholder engagement to refine our proposals further. We will present our refined proposals for comment at a further round of statutory consultation, which we intend to hold in 2025. Feedback received to the statutory consultation will help us shape our final proposals before we submit our application for a DCO.

As the Mersey Tidal Power Project will consist of the construction of a generating station with a capacity of over 50MW, the project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) under section 14(1)(a) the Planning Act 2008.

This means that one of the main types of permission we will be seeking to obtain is a Development Consent Order (DCO) from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero will make the final decision on whether to grant a DCO for the Mersey Tidal Power Project. The decision will be made after the examination of the application for a DCO, following which the Planning Inspectorate will provide a report and recommendation to the Secretary of State to help inform their decision.

More information on the DCO process is available at: infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk