Subscribe to this blog's feedMuch excitement over on the eastern side of the capital where a business consortium called Metrotidal apparently plans to build a multi-billion pound tunnel under the River Thames that would link Medway on the Kent side of the Thames Estuary with Canvey Island on the Essex shore.
The plans include a surge-tide barrier, a tidal lagoon and a tidal power plant. A 13-page document from Metrotidal says: “The lagoon and tidal power plant generates sufficient energy to be self-financing while also fully offsetting the energy requirements for the tunnel mechanical and electrical systems, the highway lighting and services and a passenger rail service through the tunnel. The carbon-free tidal power enables the land reclamation redevelopment on the north bank to become a leading example of the government’s eco-towns initiative.”
Sounds great, doesn’t it? All very kosher. Or is it? Colleagues of the great man have been trying since last week to contact Mark Willingdale, the consortium director. He doesn’t return Utility Week’s calls.
The magazine’s journos were particularly keen to discuss the tidal power economics claimed for the scheme. And also find out who the backers and consortium members are. They don’t appear to be listed anywhere.
What can be revealed is that Metrotidal shares the same address as the architectural practice of BlueBase where the main man is an architect called, yup, you’ve guessed it, Mark Willingdale. Judging by his list of projects/commissions he has a lot of experience of home, office and penthouse conversions but precious little in the field of, ahem, multi-billion pound civil engineering schemes.
He was behind a proposal for an airport for the Thames Estuary called Thames Reach. Which is currently conspicuous by its absence.
Given that our Mark’s latest big idea lacks a great deal of vital detail, the great man (Disconnector, not Willingdale) suggests a similar fate awaits the Metrotidal plan.
