The tidal power of the UK coastline could be used "on a grander scale" to generate low-carbon electricity, the British Hydropower Association has claimed.Speaking on BBC Two's Working Lunch, Ellan Parry of the association claimed that as Britain is an island, there is a "huge coastline" that has potential for a number of hydro-electric applications, including tidal impoundment schemes.Ms Parry added that schemes such as the planned Severn Barrage will allow for a greater increase in the amount of green electricity the UK currently generates from marine sources."If the Severn Barrage goes ahead, that will produce five per cent of electricity demand in the UK instantly, which is double what we're getting for renewable energy at the moment," she explained.She added that hydro sources currently supply around 40 per cent of the UK's output of renewable energy.Meanwhile, the South Wales Echo reported that a meeting of the UK Severn Tidal Power Forum was held in London this week to further discuss the feasibility of using the Severn estuary as a source of tidal-generated hydropower.
